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Proposed Ban on Fur in NY has Dealers & Orthodox Jews Paired as Critics

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A bill that would ban the sale of new fur apparel is making waves in NYC.

New legislation proposed in the City Council could threaten the livelihood of 150 stores in New York that earn the majority of their income by selling furs. As reported by the Times of Israel, the bill was first introduced in March by City Council Speaker Corey Johnson. “As an animal lover, I believe it is cruel to kill an animal just for the purpose of people buying and wearing a fur coat. There is really no need for this,” Johnson said in a statement before introducing the bill. In May, the council heard testimony from the bill’s opponents, including local dealers. Following the hearing, Johnson somewhat softened his stance, saying he would phase the bill over time to decrease the dramatic impact on the industry. Similarly, the New York State Senate and Assembly are also considering bills to ban the sale of fur in NYS.

According to Fur NYC, which opposes the ban, the bill would endanger the jobs of roughly 1,110 people currently employed in the sale of furs. To add to that figure, there is a whole supply chain including marketing, banking and insurance for furs, which would also be negatively impacted. “A fur ban would be catastrophic to New York City — eliminating a historic manufacturing community, along with thousands of jobs for New Yorkers who’ve never made another living and millions of tax revenue that fund critical government programs that help New Yorkers,” according to Fur NYC.

“If they don’t want to wear furs, they don’t [have to] wear it,” said Marc Kaufman, a fifth-generation fur dealer with a store in Midtown Manhattan. “If they don’t want to eat meat, let them not eat meat. But don’t impose your views on me.”

Besides fur dealers, many of whom are historically Jewish, other critics of the proposed bill include members of the African-American community, for whom furs are still a status symbol. Some environmental activists are also opposed, arguing that the ban will lead to an increase in non-biodegradable fake fur coats.

In addition Hasidic Jews are opposed to the ban. Sects of the ultra-orthodox community wear fur hats known as shtreimels on Shabbat and holidays. The hats are traditionally made from the tails of sables and foxes, and can cost up to $5,000. Brooklyn Councilman Chaim Deutsch said he opposes the ban, despite its clause giving religious exemption to allow the sale of fur for those using it as part of a religious custom. “If we ban fur and then you have people that are still out there wearing it, considering the fact that hate crime in New York City is on the rise, people will be targeted on the streets, saying, ‘Why are you wearing this if there’s a fur ban?’” said Deutsch.

Bezalel Stern, an attorney at Kelley, Drye & Warren, LLP, who represents the International Fur Federation, says the religious exemption may not even hold up in a court of law. “I think the [City Council] speaker knows that the religious exemption is unconstitutional and he’s putting it in because he wants to — excuse my pun — pull the fur over people’s eyes in order to get it passed,” Stern said.

Kushner Appeals for Peace in Bahrain; Offers $50B Plan to Palestinians

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“President Trump and America have not given up on you,” White House senior adviser Jared Kushner declared on Tuesday in Bahrain, appealing directly to the Palestinian people.

President Trump’s senior adviser, Jared Kushner, appealed Tuesday directly to the Palestinians, asking them to consider his ambitious $50 billion economic plan despite Palestinian leadership’s outright rejection of the proposal, even before it was ever released, as was reported by AP.

Kushner kicked off a two-day workshop in the tiny Gulf kingdom of Bahrain aimed at building support for his economic vision, according to a World Israel News report.

“My direct message to the Palestinians is that despite what those who have let you down in the past have told you, President Trump and America have not given up on you,” Kushner said, “This workshop is for you and if this is executed correctly it will lead to a better future for the Palestinian people: a future of dignity, prosperity and opportunity.”

World Israel News reported that Kushner’s audience in Bahrain did not include any official Israeli or Palestinian delegation. Those who heard Kushner in person were Arab finance ministers, the heads of international financial organizations and global business executives and investors.

Specifically, the heads of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are attending and speaking at the event, as will the head of FIFA, the international soccer federation, and the managers of numerous large investment funds.

Without seeing its contents, the Palestinians rejected the proposal, according to an AP report, which aims in 10 years to create a million new jobs, slash unemployment and improve living standards in Judea and Samaria, Gaza and across the Middle East. U.S. officials say the political portion of the plan addressing borders and other key issues will not be released until fall, according to the AP report.

The WIN report indicated that Kushner acknowledged that a political solution is key to the success of the economic proposal. He said it was first more important to set out what is economically possible.

“Agreeing on an economic pathway forward is a necessary precondition to resolving what has been a previously unsolvable political situation,” he said.

Meanwhile, Palestinian terror group Hamas called a general strike in Gaza on Tuesday to protest the meeting, with demonstrators in Judea and Samaria burning effigies of Trump and featuring a donkey pasted over with images of Gulf royals, according to the report by AP and World Israel News.

“Palestine is not for sale!” protesters chanted. “From Bahrain to Saudi Arabia we are not tempted by your millions!” they said.

Trump, Kushner and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin argue that a new approach is necessary to jump start the peace process in the Middle East because previous efforts have resulted in an abysmal failure in terms of the two sides reaching an agreement.

The Palestinians cut ties with the White House after Trump officially recognized Israeli’s capital, Jerusalem, in December 2017, and say they will not accept a peace proposal from the Trump administration.

Trump’s Mideast team has recently signaled it will accept Israeli annexation of parts of Judea and Samaria, the biblical heartland of the Jewish people, deepening Palestinian suspicions.

Saudi Arabia, one of the few Arab countries to send its foreign minister to the event, said it remained committed to a Palestinian state, issuing the following statement: “The Kingdom reiterates its firm position on the Palestinian cause and solving it in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative, which called for establishing an independent Palestinian state along the borders of 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital.”

Egypt and Jordan, the only Arab nations to have signed peace deals with Israel, are sending mid-level representatives to Bahrain and said they would not abandon demands for a Palestinian state, according to the AP and WIN reports.

At a ceremony hosted by Israel’s president to mark 40 years of Egyptian-Israeli peace on Tuesday, Egypt’s ambassador to Israel, Khaled Azmi, said his country’s “vision was, and still is, based on full nation-statehood and security for everyone in the region.”

Bahrain, which has close ties to the Saudis, has been criticized for hosting the conference and sharply limited the number of journalists allowed to cover it. It has defended its decision by saying its only objective is to support the “brotherly Palestinian people.”

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has argued that a new approach is necessary to jump start the peace process in the Middle East because previous efforts have resulted in an abysmal failure in terms of the two sides reaching an agreement. Photo Credit: Wikipedia

On Monday, Jewish Voice Israel correspondent David Ha’Ivri filed a detailed report concerning Palestinian business leaders who made a pit stop in the Samaria region of Israel to meet regional council head Yossi Dagan while on their way to the Bahrain conference.

According to Ha’Ivri’s report this scheduled meeting was conducted “under the radar” because of the negative fallout that would likely occur if the Palestinian government leadership caught wind of the fact that entrepreneurs were actually discussing business matters with Israelis. Ha’Ivri writes that the parties stressed that they both share the same core goal – “a better future for our children, and establishing a platform for economic cooperation between the Jewish residents and the local Arabs who are living in despair.”

The meeting is a continuation of a series of meetings and contacts held by the head of the Samaria Regional Council with the local Arab leadership, in order to create an alternative to the path of terror funded by the Palestinian Authority and to create economic cooperation that will bring genuine prosperity to all sides.

Dagan met with Ashraf Ja’abri, who left for Bahrain on Monday morning and with other delegates who wished to keep their identities anonymous from the intrusive eye of the media.

Last month, Dagan was honored as a guest for the traditional ‘Iftar’ dinner at the home of Ashraf Jabari in Hebron. He also traveled to Washington, DC with Sheikh Abu Khalil Tamimi from Ramallah and together held meetings on Capitol Hill to promote the economic peace plan.

During the meeting on Monday, Dagan said: “In recent years, we have seen Arab Sheikhs and leaders working to create a true connection between Arabs and Jews in Judea and Samaria. We respect each other, and if God put us here in the same land, we have to see how to honor each other. For the first time, we are not watching agreements being drafted between politicians who are not connected to the ground, but seeing local leaders coming together to discuss economic cooperation, which is what can bring peace. This is where it can happen “.

Jabari told Dagan at the meeting: “We are interested in building a large industrial park like the one here at Barkan that can employ thousands of workers who will be able to provide for their families and we want to build a hospital in Hebron. 25 years have passed since the Oslo Accords. What are the results? Only blood. We have to talk about how we will live. We must establish a strong economic situation and give livelihood to the people.”

Despite the Palestinian Authority’s refusal to send official representatives to the economic workshop in Bahrain, and despite their general rejection of the American initiative, a number of independent Palestinian businessmen decided to attend the summit.

Jewish Voice Israel correspondent David Ha’Ivri filed a detailed report concerning Palestinian business leaders who made a pit stop in the Samaria region of Israel to meet regional council head Yossi Dagan while on their way to the Bahrain conference. Photo Credit: INN

Jabari is considered friendly to the Jewish settlers and close to American ambassador to Israel, David Friedman. “We’ll go to Bahrain, we’ll look and hear what is proposed there. This is an opportunity for the Palestinian people because it will strengthen our economy,” the businessman said. “There are another eight or nine businessmen who are going to this conference with me, and we talked about this situation and they told me: ‘This is really the best plan for the Palestinian people”.

Dagan said that instead of “peace in the bonds between disconnected politicians, a connection must be made through the area, through the area and through economic investments.” Jabari replied that “peace will come from the bottom up, but what happened here 25 years ago came from top to bottom. (referring to foreign intervention and plans from realities on the ground).

The Palestinian businessman referred to the criticism on their decision to go to the summit, claiming that he believed it was an opportunity to advance the idea of a Palestinian state. “How can we reach a political solution without a strong economic situation?” he queried.

In a letter to Jewish Voice publisher David Ben Hooren, American Jewish Congress President Jack Rosen offered his organization’s perspective on the promising nature of the Bahrain summit.

Rosen wrote that the Bahrain conference represents “an opportunity to re-enter a process which has the potential to propel the Middle East towards a better future.”

He added that, “Despite the natural, and understandable, skepticism surrounding the workshop, we (the AJC) firmly believe that engagement on economic issues can be a springboard for further dialogue and engagement. We are proud to have been involved in similar economic development initiatives since the 1990’s, with the belief that providing a sound economic foundation for the Palestinians makes peace more viable in the future.”

“We believe that if the Palestinians are given a sense that they stand to lose by not engaging, there is a greater chance they will embrace the process – both economically and politically. In addition, the plan must create an incentive for the Palestinian people to pressure their leadership to abandon its boycott of the U.S. administration, and return to full engagement.”

Rosen wrote that participation of key Arab states in the conference – Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, the UAE and even regional adversaries Saudi Arabia and Qatar – “proves that there is growing concern in the region, as well as a desire to give this process a chance.”

He also indicated his belief that “enlisting the Arab states to invest in the future can be a game-changer, and we hope their participation will be help move the region closer towards peace. Much like the regional efforts to counter Iran’s malign activities, we hope the region’s leading powers will coalesce around the objective of assisting the Palestinians move towards a better future.”

Rosen concluded his letter by saying, “we also believe that the economic discussions cannot replace a genuine political process – one which must aim to resolve the core issues that at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A solid economic foundation can only be sustained if it is followed up by a good-faith effort to address the Palestinian aspiration for self-determination, and to ensure Israel continues to exist as a peaceful, secure democratic Jewish state. History has shown that disillusionment can lead to violence, and we caution all parties that unless steps are taken on the political track, the results may be highly destructive.

“Greater economic opportunity can help the next generation of Palestinians to choose partnership over extremism and peace over terrorism. We are hopeful that the “Peace to Prosperity” workshop in Bahrain will indeed provide the foundation for prosperity and will ultimately be combined with an honest political process. This is a first–but necessary–step toward a true Israeli-Palestinian peace and help present a better future for the region.”

            (World Israel News, AP)

Read more at: worldisraelnews.com

Legendary Journalist Steve Dunleavy Dies at 81; Staunch Supporter of Israel

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“When the first Gulf War broke out in 1991, Dunleavy hopped aboard a plane to Israel,” says Hannah Brown, who has worked for the New York Post and Jerusalem Post.

Steve Dunleavy, described as a “hard-hitting, hard-drinking journalist who helped define The New York Post as a crime reporter, editor and premier columnist,” was being mourned by the newspaper Monday upon his death at the age of 81.

He was also being remembered in Israel.

“Dunleavy, an Australian who became Rupert Murdoch’s star reporter after the media mogul purchased the New York Post in 1976, was a staunch supporter of Israel,” wrote Hannah Brown in The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday. Brown had written for The New York Post before joining the Jerusalem newspaper.

“When the first Gulf War broke out in 1991, Dunleavy hopped aboard a plane to Israel,” she says. “He visited the country several times, including to report on the first Gulf War in 1991 and the 1996 elections,” Brown adds.

In its article about Dunleavy published on Monday, The New York Post praises him for his “countless exclusives, including interviews with the mother of Sirhan Sirhan, Robert F. Kennedy’s assassin, and confessed ‘Boston Strangler’ Albert DeSalvo.”

According to the NY Post report, Dunleavy also flew to California to entice three members of Elvis Presley’s “Memphis Mafia” bodyguards to reveal the singer’s drug addiction.

The ensuing series of stories boosted the circulation of the Star tabloid, where Dunleavy was then working, from 2 million to 3 million, and also led to the publication of a best-selling book, “Elvis: What Happened?” shortly before Presley’s death.

“Steve Dunleavy was one of the greatest reporters of all time,” said Rupert Murdoch, owner of The Post.

“Whether competing with his own father in the famous Sydney, Australia, tabloid wars, or over the last 40 years in New York, Steve’s life story is littered with great scoops. He was much loved by both his colleagues and editors.”

“His passing is the end of a great era,” Murdoch added.

Dunleavy began his career already at the age of 14 after he “quit school” and began working “as a copy boy at The Sun, a Sydney tabloid that employed his dad as a photographer,” says the New York Post in its obituary.

Brown recalls that in “a heartfelt column about how his son Peter was going overseas for the military just after the 9/11 terror attacks, he wrote, ‘I’m sick and tired of all this crap about suspending hostilities over Ramadan. Nobody suspended hostilities when Israel was attacked during Yom Kippur.’”

             (World Israel News)

Read more at: worldisraelnews.com

Nepotism is No Secret in Campaign  of Bronx Assemblyman’s Son

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High school teacher Eric Dinowitz, 33, is the son of Bronx Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz, a Democrat who represents Kingsbridge, Norwood, Riverdale, Van Cortlandt Village, Wakefield, and Woodlawn. Photo Credit: www.krvcdc.org

Money and politics are reportedly combining in an attempt to get a Bronx assemblyman’s son elected to the New York City Council.

High school teacher Eric Dinowitz, 33, is the son of Bronx Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz, a Democrat who represents Kingsbridge, Norwood, Riverdale, Van Cortlandt Village, Wakefield, and Woodlawn. He wants to serve in the City Council. According to published reports, he is getting campaign cash from his father now despite the fact that the race he wants to run in doesn’t happen until 2021.

“That’s because the Bronx political machine is pushing hard for a special election for this fall, which would give the son a big advantage over potential rivals, according to insiders,” the New York Post has reported. According to the paper, Assemblyman Dinowitz’s committee has already placed $2,675 into his son’s campaign coffers, which filings show now totals $55,247.

Readers of artvoice.com may recognize the elder Dinowitz’s name. the web site recently ran a piece with the catchy headline “NYS Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz Gives Finger To Parents of Vaccine Injured Children.”

On May 28 of this year, the story reads, Dinowitz “gave his constituents the middle finger as he strode into a press conference where he is championing taking away NY State citizens the right to their own bodies.”

“Standing outside of 250 Broadway in NYC, his photo was taken by one of Diniwitz’s constituents who was with a crowd of people protesting a Nazi-like bill that Dinowitz has been championing since 2014,” the web site reported. “This bill would take away the Constitutional Right to Religious Freedom with regard to opting out of injecting poisonous and cancer-causing substances into one’s own body. In other words, this bill would force NYS citizens to inject themselves with KNOWN carcinogens.”

Dinowitz, the artvoice.com story continued, “is using a trumped up ‘measles’ outbreak to bring his bill back to life. Back in 2014, there was no ‘outbreak’ therefore his bill died on the vine. However, now with a few cases of the measles which is not fatal, he saw fit to jump on the bandwagon to get his bill passed.”

Rita Palma, who founded the organization My Kids, My Choice, told the New York Daily News in an interview that several inoculation-averse families were protesting outside of a Manhattan press conference held by Dinowitz and state Sen. Brad Hoylman (D) when he allegedly used the offensive gesture.

“I’m terribly disappointed and disgusted that an elected official would behave in such a way to disparage people who were standing up for the rights of themselves and their children,” Palma told the newspaper.

Ex-DeBlasio Aide Who Pled Guilty to Child Porn Charges Sues City for Back Pay

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Jacob Schwartz, 31 – a two-year veteran of the city’s Department of Design and Construction — could be sentenced to anywhere from one to three years in prison in July. Photo Credit: Rabid Republican Blog

Now that’s chutzpah!

A one-time member of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s City Hall team who pleaded guilty in May to charges of involvement with child pornography has sued New York City, claiming he is due back pay.

Jacob Schwartz, 31 – a two-year veteran of the city’s Department of Design and Construction — could be sentenced to anywhere from one to three years in prison in July. A trial found he had downloaded images of child porn – reportedly more than 3,000, as well as 89 similarly grotesque videos. Some, prosecutors said, involving kids just six months of age. He was arrested 12 months ago.

But now Schwartz, who was let go after his arrest, is reportedly complaining that he is due money by the city, claiming that he was paid not time and a half, but lesser comp time when he was putting in more than 40 hours per week. The amount he claims he is currently owed totals some $18,000.

According to the New York Post, “The Manhattan Federal Court lawsuit was filed by his father, politically connected labor lawyer Arthur Schwartz. ‘They owed him money and he tried for two years to get paid,’ the elder Schwartz told The Post.” A spokesperson for New York City’s Law Department said the complaint was currently under review.

The younger Schwartz had formerly served as the president of the Manhattan Young Democrats and the downstate regional vice president of the New York State Democrats. According to Fox New, both organizations severed ties with him in the wake of the allegations.

“Last month, Schwartz pleaded guilty to the charge of promoting a sexual performance by a child, as part of a plea deal to serve one to three years in prison,” Fox reported. “He has since been released on a $7,500 cash bail until his sentencing on July 2.”

According to the web site heavy.com, authorities claimed that “the images showed girls — some of them extremely young — performing sex acts on adult men. According to court papers, that included “young nude females between the approximate ages of 6 months and 16, engaging in sexual conduct… on an adult male.”

The web site also reported that leading up to his arrest, Schwartz held a job working for the City of New York, earning a $66,360 salary as a computer programmer analyst in the city Department of Design and Construction. “He worked on the so-called “Build It Back” Hurricane Sandy recovery and resiliency program. Schwartz was fired after being arrested on child porn charges in 2017.”

Cuomo Still Undecided on Fate of E-Bikes & Scooters in NY

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Electric bikes? Scooters? Yes? No? Sorry — New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo isn’t ready to say. Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Electric bikes? Scooters? Yes? No?

Sorry — New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo isn’t ready to say.

Cuomo would not commit last week about the ultimate fate of a bill in the state Legislature – which was passed last week – that would make legal the battery-powered vehicles.

The governor listed the potential problem areas even as state politicians left Albany for greener pastures.

“That’s a bill that’s going to, I think, need more review and discussion,” Cuomo noted in answer to a question about the bill. “I’ve heard a number of concerns from safety advocates.”

There remain open questions galore, including riding on sidewalks, the potential need for licenses and registration, and whether or not to mandate helmets.

“‘When does a bike become a motorized vehicle?” Cuomo asked rhetorically. “When does a bike with an engine become a bike that should be registered as a motor vehicle and licensed. Remember mopeds. At one point it’s a motor vehicle. What is that?”

“The bill the Legislature passed would in fact bar riding on sidewalks and public promenades, forbid the vehicles from exceeding 20 miles per hour and obligate riders to be at least 16 years old. It also would pass considerable regulatory and decision-making power to municipalities,” reported Crain’s New York Business.

“Electric scooters manufactured by Bird, Lime and other companies have become popular nationally, and food-delivery workers have used fully motorized “throttle bikes” for years,” the business publication continued. “Mayor Bill de Blasio has launched a crackdown on those devices, citing similar safety concerns as the governor, and the NYPD has confiscated and destroyed hundreds of the bikes—leaving their low-income and often immigrant users unable to do their job. There is little data to substantiate the politicians’ fears about the bikes.”

For some, no decision remains the best decision. As Syracuse.com noted in a recent look at the legislation debate, “And even if Cuomo does sign the bill, that puts the decision into local leaders’ hands. The legislation allows each city, town and village to opt-into the e-scooter craze. The local governments can also impose extra rules – such as hours of operation, helmets or scooter-free zones – in their hometowns.”

Those in favor of e-scooters and e-bikes “say the devices provide a cheaper and emission-free way to get around. Riders are supposed to follow the same rules of the road that traditional bicyclists do,” Syracuse.com continued. “Critics worry about injuries, increased emergency room trips and users who ignore the rules and ride on sidewalks.”

NYS Senate Passes Legislation that Addresses Effects of Climate Change

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The State Senate last week passed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CCPA) to address and mitigate the effects of climate change by drastically cutting greenhouse gases, diverting the state’s energy reliance to renewable sources, and creating green jobs to promote environmental justice across New York State

The State Senate last week passed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CCPA) to address and mitigate the effects of climate change by drastically cutting greenhouse gases, diverting the state’s energy reliance to renewable sources, and creating green jobs to promote environmental justice across New York State. This bill is said to be the most comprehensive and aggressive climate change legislation in the nation.

“Today marks a historic day for New York State in the fight against climate change,” Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said. “As our leaders in Washington fail to take action, New York needs to lead in this time of great crises for our planet. I commend Senator Todd Kaminsky for championing this bill and protecting New York’s future generations.”

Bill Sponsor and Chair of the Environmental Conservation Committee, Senator Todd Kaminsky, said, “While Washington is asleep at the wheel, New York is leading the way. The CLPA will virtually eliminate New York’s greenhouse gasses, foster renewable energy production, create green jobs, invest in lower-income communities, and protect our planet. New Yorkers and the world cannot wait any longer. This is the moment for bold, global change—and I’m proud to say New York is leading the nation.”

The Senate Majority held a series of hearings on the Climate Leadership and Community Protect Act (CCPA), led by Chair of the Environmental Conservation Committee, Senator Todd Kaminsky, in Albany, New Paltz, Syracuse, New York City, and Long Island. These hearings allowed concerned citizens, stakeholders, and environmental experts to provide testimony on how climate change has impacted their communities and recommendations for New York State moving forward.

The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, S.6599, will:

– Minimize the adverse impacts of climate change by reducing statewide greenhouse gas emissions.

– Improve the state’s resiliency to the certain effects and risks of climate change.

– Ensure that the ongoing transition of the state’s energy sector will create good jobs and protect workers and communities during the transition process.

– Prioritize the safety and health of disadvantaged communities, control the potential regressive impacts of future climate change mitigation, and adopt policies for these communities.

– Review and prioritize the allocation of public investments.

Julie Tighe, President of the New York League of Conservation Voters, said, “New York’s climate bill is the strongest and most ambitious in the nation thanks to the bold leadership of Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, Senator Kaminsky, and the entire State Senate. We are proud that after months of advocacy, the State Senate has passed a bill that will result in deep economy-wide emission reduction goals and requires 100% clean power by 2040 combined with investments in communities that have historically born a disproportionate burden of the effects of air pollution and climate change. As the White House continues to put fossil fuels first, this legislation is a model for other states to follow.”

MTA Committee Head Wants Video of Fare Beaters to be Publicly Posted

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Cuomo recently announced a new crackdown on fare-beaters and transit violence. As part of it, he has ordered 500 police and other law enforcement officers to deal with increasing incidents of assaults on transit workers and fare evasion on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s subways and buses. Photo Credit: WNYC.org

At least one member of the MTA board believes shaming is a powerful deterrent, and says she wants to give it a try.

Sarah Feinberg, the chairperson of the MTA’s Bus and Transit Committee, suggested trying the tactic during one of the group’s regular monthly board meeting.

“I would like to see us capturing this behavior on camera and posting it publicly,” she said. “When people are publicly embarrassed by this kind of behavior, it helps address it.”

Feinberg, who headed the Federal Railroad Administration from 2015 to 2017, was tapped by Gov. Andrew Cuomo earlier this year to fill a vacancy on the MTA board, according to the New York Post. “During the meeting, she called Cuomo’s new crackdown — announced last week — on fare evasion and transit violence “a long time coming,” the paper added.

Cuomo recently announced a new crackdown on fare-beaters and transit violence. As part of it, he has ordered 500 police and other law enforcement officers to deal with increasing incidents of assaults on transit workers and fare evasion on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s subways and buses.

“The new patrols will include 200 New York City police officers, paid for with city funds, 200 MTA officers and 100 bridge and tunnel officers,” Bloomberg reported. “The agency will use video cameras at some subway gates to support the increase in personnel, although authorities are not sure how they can best be employed, MTA Chairman Pat Foye said.”

Feinberg is quoted in the Post as saying that the plan feels like a very comprehensive program. It includes, among other steps, strengthening law enforcement patrols on subways and buses.

“Feinberg said she “would like to see our cameras in stations used” to catch fare beaters,” according to the Post. “The board member also raised concerns on serial transit recidivists. “What can we do to address this issue of folks who are literally entering our system to prey upon people?” she said. Feinberg noted: “We’re in a place where basically nothing has been done this year.”

New York City Major Bill de Blasio, whose deployment of NYPD officers is intrinsic to the effort, did not appear at Monday’s event. “From an undisclosed location, he did provide a statement for a press release that went out after the news conference,” Politico noted: “The additional officers we’re deploying to the subway system will protect riders, prevent fare evasion and respond in emergencies.”

The Second Least Patriotic State? Believe it or Not, it’s New York!

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The personal finance web site WalletHub found New Yorkers the second-least patriotic Americans across all 50 states – except for New Jersey. Photo Credit: www.osc.state.ny.us

Are New Yorkers patriotic? Not much, according to a new survey. By the way – neither are New Jerseyites.

Using information gathered from the U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Veterans Affairs, Defense Manpower Data Center, Corporation for National & Community Service, Peace Corps, Military OneSource, United States Elections Project, Administrative Office of the United States Courts and Center for American Progress, the personal finance web site WalletHub found New Yorkers the second-least patriotic Americans across all 50 states – except for New Jersey.

The research based its findings on a various metrics, including military enlistment, number of veterans, voting records, jury service and volunteering.

“Expressions of American patriotism come in many forms — from setting off fireworks during Fourth of July and buying American-made goods to paying taxes and serving in the armed forces. But some states are better than others at showing their national pride,” WalletHub reported on its web site. “So in order to determine where Americans bleed the most red, white and blue, WalletHub compared the states across 13 key indicators of patriotism. Our data set ranges from share of enlisted military population to share of adults who voted in the 2016 presidential election to AmeriCorps volunteers per capita.”

New Hampshire came in first as the most patriotic state in the union, followed by Wyoming, Vermont, Utah and Idaho.

New York finished 49th among the 50 states. One reason could be the relatively small number of military veterans: 54 out of every one-thousand adults. The state also finished fourth from the bottom of the rankings when it comes to volunteering.

WalletHub says it found – to no one’s surprise – that also red states were shown to be more patriotic than blue states.

To determine the most patriotic states, WalletHub’s Adam McCann noted, staffers compared the 50 states across two key dimensions, Military Engagement and Civic Engagement. “We evaluated those dimensions using 13 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the highest level of patriotism.

Finally, we determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.”

It was only last year that the Washington Post told its readers that “America needs more patriotism.” Noted columnist Megan McArdle, “If we are to fight our way back from this soft civil war, we will need a muscular patriotism that focuses us on our commonalities instead of our differences.”

Roger Stone Holds Staten Island Fundraiser to Help Pay Legal Fees

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Roger Stone held at a fundraiser on Staten Island last Saturday night, to raise money for his legal defense. Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Roger Stone held at a fundraiser on Staten Island last Saturday night, to raise money for his legal defense.

The 66-year-old lobbyist and strategist is known for his use of opposition research, usually for candidates of the Republican Party. He has worked for politicians including Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Jack Kemp, Bob Dole and most recently was a longtime advisor for President Donald Trump. On January 25th, Stone was arrested at his residence in Florida in connection with Robert Mueller’s Special Counsel investigation. He is being charged with witness tampering, obstructing an official proceeding, and five counts of making false statements, all of which he is pleading not guilty to.

As reported by the NY Post, to date he has raked up roughly $2 million in lawyer bills, awaiting his trial which has been set for November 5th. The fundraiser, held at an Annadale restaurant in Staten Island, was filled to capacity with over 100 supporters attending, at $150 a head. Stone, who seemed upbeat, spent the night complaining to supporters about the “relentless attacks” against him in the media, but was careful not to violate the gag order in place ahead of his obstruction trial. “And yes, I am eating a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches,” Stone told the crowd, referring to his financial woes.

Former “Manhattan Madam” Kristin Davis, and former congressman Michael Grimm were both at his side at the event, Grimm confiding that he had been through a similar “witch hunt”. Rich Valdes, the conservative radio producer and host and potential Republican challenger who will take on Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, was also at the fundraiser.

Stone also has an online fundraising at stonedefensefund.com, which he said has attracted about 40,000 donors. Despite this, he said the lawyers’ bills have forced him to sell his home and his car. “If you see a picture of me on social media, on Instagram, eating a big steak or a nice plate of lasagna, you can bet someone else is paying for it,” he noted.

Stone said he is no longer in direct contact with President Trump, but that they have known each other since 1979. At the time, Stone was working for Ronald Reagan’s New York campaign and Mr. Trump was an important donor.

Scott Stringer: Affordability Crisis Causes People to Leave NYC

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New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer and family march on 55th Celebrate Israel Parade in New York on 5th Avenue. Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Housing, childcare and transportation costs are outstripping wages, creating an “affordability crisis” that is causing people to leave New York City, a new report shows.

New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer last week released a new year of data detailing how New York City’s affordability crisis is straining households across the five boroughs.

The updated “Affordability Index” tracks how the rising costs of basic necessities like housing, transportation, healthcare, and child care, are squeezing the budgets of New York City households and leaving them with dwindling savings.

“New York City’s affordability crisis impacts every New Yorker and every community – and the numbers laid out in our affordability index shine a light on this worsening crisis. Over the last decade, the lack of affordable housing and the soaring cost of everything from child care to basic everyday necessities have ravaged New Yorkers’ bank accounts, and now, these pressures are pushing people out,” said Stringer. “This data shows exactly why we need an affordable housing plan that puts people before profits and a bold investment in quality affordable child care. We can’t allow a two-million dollar luxury condo to become the entry price to New York City. We need to meet this growing crisis with the urgency it demands and do everything in our power to keep New York City an aspirational city for our next generation.”

The affordability index is updated annually to monitor the economic struggles of four typical City household types: single adults, married couples with no children, single parents with two children, and married couples with two children. This year’s updated affordability index shows that between 2005 and 2017, typical household incomes increased by just 1.9 percent per year for single adult households and 3.0 percent or more for other households in the index, as the share of incoming remaining for these typical households has generally fallen.

Single parents with two children struggle the most to afford living in New York City and have significant trouble paying for basic necessities. For these households, the costs of basic expenses actually exceeded incomes by 26 percent in 2017, meaning these New York City families are making compromises, racking up debt, or forgoing basic needs.

In fact, the analysis shows that since 2005, single adults with children saw monthly basic expenses rise by $1,508 or 48 percent, while incomes grew just $1,079 or 42 percent over the same period.

Single adults also saw their monthly basic expenses rise faster than incomes. The analysis notes a 41 percent jump in costs and a 26 percent rise in income, leaving those households with just $648 leftover after taxes and basic needs in 2017, down from $831 over a decade ago.

Bklyn Born Artist Transforms Broadway into Artificial Bird Display

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Nearly a dozen artificial birds representing species that some claim are in danger thanks to climate change, are now on display at the Broadway Mall between 64th and 157th streets. Photo Credit: gothamtogo.com

New Yorkers are talking about Birds over Broadway. But it’s not a new play.

Nearly a dozen artificial birds representing species that some claim are in danger thanks to climate change, are now on display at the Broadway Mall between 64th and 157th streets.

Teaming up with the New York City chapter of the Audubon Society is Brooklyn-born artist Nicolas Holiber. He has taken lumber from old floorboards and shipping pallets and refashioned them to create the work of art.

At Dante Park, right across from Lincoln Center, strollers can fine an almost 15-foot long red-necked grebe along with three baby chicks sitting on its back. The bird’s bill is aligned with a clock – watching time run out, get it?

On 148th Street sits a recreation of a snowy owl.

On 105th Street, a wooden double-crested cormorant sits poised.

On 79th street there is a diminutive American bittern bearing red and white stripes, gazing up at the heavens.

At 96th Street, the street is now adorned with a large brant, a form of saltwater goose.

Holiber was the subject of a piece on kickstarter.com, which pointed out that the public art exhibition is intended to raise awareness for bird species whose existence is threatened by climate change, while also bringing beauty to the urban landscape.

“Stretching from 64th Street north to 166th Street in Manhattan, the exhibition will display sculptures in prominent locations on the median that bisects Broadway, called the Broadway Malls,” the site reports. “Holiber is the youngest artist ever to have a solo exhibition on the malls and this will be one of the largest to date.”

Each sculpture will be made out of 100% reclaimed or recycled wood, kickstarter.com noted. “Through a partnership with Big Reuse, the artist will receive salvaged lumber to be used for each bird. Holiber will also reprocess found wood from around the streets of New York City. Additionally, sponsorship for all of the hardware needed to build the sculptures has been provided by Marjam Supply Company.”

The birds’ importance lies in generating awareness, the group continued. “Why are these birds important? Because they come from a group identified in the National Audubon Society Birds & Climate Change Report, which revealed that 314 species—nearly half of all North American birds—will be imperiled over the coming decades due to shifting and contracting habitat zones as a result of global warming. Each sculpture will be accompanied by information on that specific bird, the threats it faces, and what concerned viewers can do to help.”

LIC Warehouse Near Waterfront May Soon Become Residential Tower

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The Long Island City skyline. Photo Credit: Shutterstock

A Long Island City warehouse near the waterfront may soon give rise to a residential tower.

A two-story warehouse and an adjacent parking lot at 2-33 50th Avenue has been placed on the market. That means the site could be purchased and developed in one of the hottest housing development markets in the city.

JLL and chairman of New York investment sales Bob Knakal have been tapped to market and peddle the property.

According not published reports, the site in question is able to accommodate more than 440,000 square feet of new space. Thus far, it has no sale price, but insiders say they expect it go for an amount in the tens of millions.

“It’s the best development site available in Queens right now,” Knakal told Crain’s New York Business. the edifice in question is located inside an opportunity zone where, among other things, capital gains can be sheltered from taxation. “There will be a lot of interest both from the development community and from opportunity-zone buyers,” he added.

“The site sits a block from the Vernon Boulevard subway station on the No. 7 line, offering a close connection to Manhattan and, Knakal noted, the Hudson Yards development, which opened this year,” Crain’s reported. “There’s over 80,000 jobs being created in the Hudson Yards and the 7 train is the only public transit link to the neighborhood,” Knakal said. “Living in this neighborhood, with such a great connection, is almost as good as being able to walk to work.”

The site’s zoning reportedly permits approximately 420,000 square feet of residential space. Knakal told Crain’s that the remaining square footage could be community space or retail. “The property sits among a cluster of large residential spires built along the East River in Long Island City over the past decade. Knakal said nearly all of the rental and condo apartments in the area have been absorbed and that recent years have seen a lull in new development in that particular. “There’s an air bubble in the supply of new apartments here,” Knakal said. “A developer could take advantage of that with this site.”

JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated) itself is a leading professional services firm that specializes in real estate and investment management. The Fortune 500 company has annual revenue of $16.3 billion, operations in over 80 countries and a global workforce of over 91,000.

Extravagant Midtown Penthouse on the Market for $98M; NYC’s Second Priciest Home

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The Big Apple is full of fine condos and lavish penthouses. Not many, however, can justify a price tag of $98 million.

The 19,815-square-foot quintuplex penthouse, at 172 Madison Avenue in Midtown, listed for $98 million, is truly exceptional. The sprawling five story home boasts 18- to 32-foot-high ceilings and “nearly anything that money can buy and the mind can imagine is possible,” as per the listing. It features a total of 26 rooms, with 11 bedrooms, 14 bathrooms, several fireplaces, outdoor terraces on each floor, a private roof deck with a pool and Jacuzzi, and a total of over 4,500 square feet of outdoor terrace space. It also has river to river views in the heart of New York. It has been adoringly nicknamed Le Penthouse. “If this is how you love to live, this is your call to action, you will love to create this one of a kind white box into a home,” the brokers wrote in the listing. Raphael Sitruk and Efraim Tessler of Keller Williams NYC were the lucky ones to be entrusted with the listing.

Designed by the late architect Karl Fischer and developed by Tessler, the memorizing home is conveniently located between 33rd and 34th Streets—an eight-minute walk to Madison Square Park, and 11 minutes away from Grand Central. Interior design was by Shamir Shah. The fully staffed building includes a 67-ft salt-water lap pool, Jacuzzi, steam room, Yoga room, a gym with complimentary classes, a lounge with billiards, a children’s playroom, and of course an on-site 172 Spa for pets. Homes include a smart system to control climate, lighting, shades and music. Common charges in the building are $30,461 per month, and taxes are $51,269 monthly.

As reported by Curbed NY, the building sits on a once-foreclosed site, where in 2011 Russian-based developers NMP Group defaulted on a loan after making plans for the building. Real estate investor Yitzchak Tessler rescued the project, purchasing and completing it. The 33-story building, dressed in reflective glass that is accentuated by robust onyx-colored frames, was built in 2016 and offers 72 apartments. Some of the building’s units first hit the market in 2015, before completion. Currently other available listings at the building include 2- bedroom apartments, with 1,488 total square footage, asking over $2.5 million; a 3-bedroom with 2,146 square feet asking $5.75 million; and a 4-bedroom penthouse with 3,548 square feet of space asking a cool $14 millio

Ocasio-Cortez Hits Amazon with More Baseless Accusations

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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is in hot water once again for saying what many claim are ridiculous things — this time slamming Amazon for paying peanuts to employees. Problem is: they don’t. Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is in hot water once again for saying what many claim are ridiculous things — this time slamming Amazon for paying peanuts to employees.

Problem is: they don’t. Ocasio-Cortez, the first-time Congresswoman, known nationally for repeatedly jamming her foot in her mouth in front of television cameras, criticized Amazon for paying entry-level, order-fulfillment center workers just $15 per hour – even though that is double the federally mandated minimum wage. Her statements came as a guest on ABC News’ “This Week” program eight days ago.

The Congresswoman also complained about the economy, which she judges to be “immoral,” and insisted that Amazon underpays, as she put it, “every single person.”

Amazon justifiably called the allegations “absurd.” Rather than apologize, Ocasio-Cortez turned up the volume, taking to social media to broadcast her silliness more widely.

According to Amazon, it employs about 647,000 across the United States. In addition to salary, full-time and some part-time employees receive health-care coverage and college benefits.

One of Ocasio-Cortez’s tweets bellowed that “1 in 10 of Amazon’s Ohio employees were on food stamps after the company opened fulfillment centers in the state. Paying full-time employees so little that they require gov food assistance is what paying starvation wages means.”

“The disconcerting thing is the amount of job destruction she brings about, as well as the airtime she gets,” the New York Post’s Jonathon Trugman wrote. “She helped kill 25,000 high-paying jobs in the city, which needs them, and yet some people treat her like she walks on water. It’s a shame, because 77 percent of New Yorkers wanted the Amazon jobs and $150,000 average pay packages, and the governor made a good deal that would have netted NY and NYC $25 billion in tax revenue over 10 years, despite a modest credit in the beginning.”

Only weeks ago, radio talk show host Mark Levin said this about Ocasio-Cortez on BlazeTV: “The idea that this woman is celebrated and promoted by the media is really appalling. She’s a dunderhead, she doesn’t know a damn thing, she hasn’t done a damn thing. This is like going to a sorority house or a frat house. People are sitting around after about three beers just burping out stupid stuff all the time.”

More recently, she posted a video on social media in which she likened detention centers at America’s southern border to World War Two-style concentration camps. “The U.S. is running concentration camps on our southern border, and that is exactly what they are,” the witless Ocasio-Cortez said.

Sotheby’s Realty to Open New Brokerage in Qatar

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Sotheby’s International Realty is expanding its presence in the Middle East.

The luxury brokerage firm is adding a new branch in Qatar, as per the Real Deal. The new arm, to be headquartered in the capital city Doha, will be owned by lifestyle conglomerate Alfardan Group. Doha is not only the capital but also the largest and most populous city in the Arabic state of Qatar, which famously has the highest per capita income in the world. The city is located on the coast of the Persian Gulf. The firms’ emphasis will be on luxury residential markets, working with clients from all across the world who are looking to buy high-end real estate.

Philip White, the President and CEO of Sotheby’s International Realty, said in a statement that the country’s “high-income economy and global real estate interest” were key factors for selecting the region for the expansion. Seran Gheorghe has been appointed as the general manager of the Doha-based office. Gheorghe is a real estate veteran in the region and had been employed with Gulf Sotheby’s International Realty in Dubai. As reported by Inman, Gheorghe said the Qatari market has exquisite beachfront villas and high-end apartments and penthouses, which have attracted buyers from all around the globe including India, China, the U.S. and Europe. “We pride ourselves in offering the highest level of support and advice to our clients before, during and after the transaction,” Gheorghe said. “Aligning our company with the Sotheby’s International Realty brand will further provide our clients with unparalleled marketing, global reach and exposure.”

Sotheby’s luxury real estate brand was founded in 1976 by the Sotheby’s Auction House. It currently has 990 offices in 72 countries and territories worldwide. The brand reached $112 billion in sales last year, a company record. It is now owned by Reology Holdings, which is traded on the NYSE, and also owns Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, Century 21, Coldwell Banker and Corcoran among other holdings.

Qatar has frequented headlines of late, for having won the right to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament, which will be held in late November until mid-December of 2022, to avoid the country’s summer heat. Though the decision was seeped in controversy, it is probably now leading to this entry by Sotheby’s Realty. The event will doubtlessly bring publicity and growth into the region.

The launch of the new branch also comes after a subsidiary of Peerage Capital acquired Sotheby’s Canadian brokerage division. In May, the private equity company bought Sotheby’s International Realty Canada from a subsidiary of Dundee Corp. The deal impacted SIRC’s 540 realtors in 32 offices across the country, who were reportedly be given the option to stay with the newly acquired brokerage.