As reported by the NY Post, James Luckie, 58, the former Cushman & Wakefield electrical manager, allegedly accepted extravagant gifts from electrical contracting firm managers Paul Angerame and Michael Garrison, both 59. The gifts included expensive Knicks game tickets and a golf trip in Florida.

“These individuals were trusted with rebuilding the site of the worst terror attack in American history, but instead, allegedly squandered public funds to line their own pockets,” the state’s Attorney General Letitia James said Wednesday. “Not only did they trade lavish gifts for confidential information and preferential work, but they put lives at risk by hiring unqualified workers to carry out serious electrical work at the site.”

In 2013, the Port Authority, which owns the WTC site, hired Cushman & Wakefield to oversee electrical work at the site, and Luckie was appointed as the site’s electrical manager. Angerame and Garrison, two former managers at Hatzel & Buehler, Inc., allegedy paid for Luckie’s meals, golf outings and chauffeur services in exchange for preferential treatment, insider information about future electrical projects, and an unfair advantage over competing firms. As per court papers, more than $17,000 in gifts were enjoyed by Luckie from 2015 to 2017, gifted by Angerame and Garrison, who were appointed as supervisors over the project.

The case further alleges that the crooked trio squandered Port Authority funds by hiring seven unqualified electricians, who had family or personal ties, to perform repairs and maintenance. These electricians, who were paid $1.26 million in total for various jobs, were inexperienced and did not have knowledge of how to handle high voltage electricity, endangering themselves and other workers at the site, as per officials.

The Port Authority launched a year-long investigation, uncovering the “pay-to-play” scheme, after getting a safety complaint about the dangerous condition, as per the Attorney General’s office. “Let this serve as a loud and clear message: we will crack down on corruption of any kind and will work to ensure public integrity and accountability throughout New York,” said AG James.

On Wednesday, each of the three defendants pleaded not guilty in Manhattan Supreme Court to charges of corrupting the government, bribe receiving and official misconduct. If the men are convicted, they can face up to 15 years in state prison.

On Sunday, Senator Chuck Schumer called upon​ the Federal Communications Commission to ​evaluate ​whether internet providers are delivering the advertised internet speed to NY customers. “When there’s slow internet, it drives you crazy​.​ ​Y​ou just sit and wait and wait and wait. It’s horrible. Well, there’s a new report out that says our internet here in New York may​ ​be moving more like molasses than like lightning,” said Schumer during a news conference in his office in Manhattan.

The democrat is concerned that more than 4.3 million people across New York City may be getting ripped off with slower broadband speeds than promised. He added that another 436,000 in Nassau and Suffolk counties may also suffer from speeds lower than the minimum advertised. He pointed to a recent report from Microsoft entitled “Connecting America”, in contrast to data compiled by the FCC,​based on self-reporting from internet providers. “The FCC has said internet speeds ​are up to standards in its report. But Microsoft did its own report and it shows that over four and a half million New Yorkers and Long Islanders are not getting the speed on the internet that the carriers say they’re getting​,” Schumer said, adding “that’s a real problem.”

The minimum download speed is 25 megabits per second, as per the FCC. As reported by the NY Post, however, Schumer says that a majority of customers in New York and Long Island are stuck with speeds well below that. “It’s like paying for the speed of a car but getting the speed of a bicycle,” said the ​​senator. “The FCC needs to account for the massive disparity in reported speeds and the real frustration of many New Yorkers, who are at a net loss all around when their internet service is slow, possibly paying for speeds that are not as advertised and losing out on their own productivity,” Schumer said.

Schumer said that the sluggish speed is not only an annoyance but damages efficiency. “It hurts our businesses. It hurts individuals​ ​… you should be getting the lightning​-​fast internet that they have promised,” said the Senate minority leader. Schumer said he suspects the providers are slacking in service as a way of cutting their own costs. “It’s just a lot easier for providers to not upgrade,” he said.

​”T​he FCC is falling down on the job. I don’t think it’s nefarious but the providers, to upgrade to the required speed​,​ would have to pay fr more equipment. They should. We’re all paying big bills for that.”

Residents are hoping Mayor Bill de Blasio can get his act together long enough for Amazon to find a home in NYC. The Seattle-based ecommerce giant, led by Jeff Bezos, is carefully considering a couple of extremely large spaces in Midtown Manhattan. Mayor de Blasio, however, has not gotten over Amazon’s slight to Long Island City, where the company scrapped plans to build HQ2. Instead of welcoming the new prospect, Hizzoner has said he feels “jaded” that Amazon is now choosing The Big Island of Manhattan after just walking away from the plans in Queens.

As reported by the NY Post, the tech behemoth is in negotiations with landlords of two new skyscrapers situated one block west of Penn Station, at One Manhattan West and its soon-to-be-completed sister project, Two Manhattan West. “You know we are very jaded now after having made a full agreement that I thought was a fair agreement that they just walked away with in the dead of night,” said de Blasio. “They have not spoken to me. They have not reached out to me, but if they do something on their own and it adds jobs, well, that’s fine, then,” he said, after hearing the report last week.

Amazon is reportedly eyeing 250,000 square feet of space to start, much less than the 4 million it was prepared to use in LIC. Notwithstanding, the company’s presence would bring thousands of high-paying jobs. Not to mention, it would also bring in an abundance of tax revenue— money that NYC could desperately use to rebuild crumbling infrastructure, roads and transportation.

“I and I think much of the community I work with welcome Amazon’s growth here with open arms. The kinds of jobs that we’ll see from Amazon’s increased presence — and from the increase of other tech companies large and small — are the jobs of the future,” said Julie Samuels, with the advocacy organization Tech: NYC, which represents 700 companies.

Mayor de Blasio, however, is taking a colder approach. He has already made clear that the company will not receive any help from the city if they chose to move to Manhattan’s West Side. “Look, if Amazon decides — as Google did and as many other tech firms have — that they’re going to expand their presence in New York City, that’s their choice,” de Blasio said last week. “It doesn’t surprise me at all, but again, they’re going to have to do it on their own,” he said.

A recent feature story by the New York Times’ Corey Kilgannon carried an intriguing headline: ‘Can an Island Off the Bronx With One Million Graves Become a City Park?’

City planners are suggesting that it can.

Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez says he wants Hart Island to be placed under the jurisdiction of the city Parks Department. At present, it is being run by the city’s Department of Correction, and inmates bury the bodies of people who go unclaimed, unidentified or can’t afford any other burial,” according to the Wall Street Journal. “Someone who wants to visit a loved one buried there should not be guarded by correction officers,” Rodriguez said in an interview.

Hart Island is a relatively little known island in the northeast Bronx, New York City measuring roughly one mile long as one-third of a mile wide. It is the largest public burial ground in the country. For those searching maps for it, it is located at the western end of Long Island Sound. It is part of the Pelham Islands group, which is located to the east of City Island.

Over a million people are, indeed, said to have been interred on Hart Island since 1869, but not so many recently – under 1,500 burials a year now. Those buried there are people who were not claimed by family, the homeless and the indigent. Access to the island is restricted; it can only be reached by ferryboat, family members of those interred must request access in advance, and the New York City government only allows 50 to 70 visitors per month as of 2017.

The Hart Island Project, which was founded in 1994, has assisted families in obtaining copies of public burial records and has advocated for easier access to the island. In 2018, some officials decided to venture to the island and collect human bones. The reason was compelling: reports had surfaced that foul weather and rising tides had unearthed remains, depositing bones on the island’s shoreline. When photos began surfacing, forensic anthropologists from the New York City medical examiner’s office made the trek and gathered and cataloged nearly 200 human bones.

“This is insane. This is crazy that a million people are buried on Hart Island, mostly poor and marginalized individuals and there is one Saturday a month to visit. This is crazy,” City Council Speaker Corey Johnson told CBS News. “Johnson is among many elected officials who say it’s time management of the island changes hands. He wants it operated by the Department of Parks instead of the Department of Correction.”

A brand-new section of the Sept. 11 memorial at the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan was unveiled last week, this one honoring recovery workers who died after searching through the rubble searching for survivors.

Called the 9/11 Memorial Glade, it is a grassy clearing on the southwest corner of the 8-acre (3-hectare) plaza includes a path flanked with six huge, sloping stone structures made of granite slabs inlaid with steel recovered from the fallen trade center towers.

The Glade design was developed by the Memorial’s original architects, Michael Arad and Peter Walker, with the thoughtful support of 9/11 Memorial & Museum board member Jon Stewart, 9/11-health advocates and providers, 9/11 family members, first responders and lower Manhattan residents, according to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.

The memorial’s design includes a pathway flanked by six large stone monoliths, ranging from 13 to 18 tons, that are inlaid with World Trade Center steel accompanied by an inscription at either end of the pathway.

The Glade’s inscription, according to the group, encapsulates its purpose:

• “This Memorial Glade is dedicated
• To those whose actions in our time of need
• Led to their injury, sickness, and death
• Responders and recovery workers
• Survivors and community members
• Suffering long after September 11, 2001
• From exposure to hazards and toxins
• That hung heavy in the air
• Here and beyond this site known as Ground Zero
• And at the Pentagon
• And near Shanksville, Pennsylvania
• In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks.
• Here we honor the tens of thousands
• From across America and around the world
• Who came to help and to heal
• Whose selflessness and resolve
• Perseverance and courage
• Renewed the spirit of a grieving city
• Gave hope to the nation
• And inspired the world.

The area’s six stone monoliths were installed on Saturday, April 6. This process required a 600-ton crane and an assist crane. Each monolith was lifted over the 30 to 35-foot-tall Swamp White Oak trees on the Memorial plaza and rigged inside the Glade construction site, the group said.

“The monoliths, which were shaped by two craftsmen in Barre, Vt., were driven six hours south on flatbed trucks through the Green Mountains and the rolling hills of New England to be placed on the site. Along the way, they were escorted by a team of eight personnel from the Vermont Division of Fire Safety. As the team assisted the trucks on their way to New York City, local first responders in communities along the way saluted the monoliths on the highway overpasses to recognize the importance and national significance of this project.”

When they arrived in lower Manhattan, the organization says, they met “a scene of workers waiting to guide them safely into their permanent home. As the focal point of the 9/11 Memorial Glade, the monoliths’ rough edges and large size were created to honor the challenges faced by those whom the Glade memorializes.”

WeWork, which provides shared workspaces for technology startup subculture communities, and services for entrepreneurs, freelancers, startups, small businesses and large enterprises, has found new digs.

The company, founded in 2010 and based in New York City, has reportedly signed a lease for a 212,387 square foot space located at 620 Sixth Ave. between West 18th and 19th streets.

The space was formerly occupied by Spotify and Mediaocean offices. According to the New York Post, “The JLL Team of Alexander Chudnoff, James Wenk and Kenneth Siegel, with the support of Kirill Azovtsev and Dan Turkewitz, represented Spotify USA in the disposition to the RXR ownership in part of the third and the entire seventh floor totaling 124,550 square feet. Spotify moved to Four World Trade Center. A Savills team represented Mediaocean in negotiations with RXR to give up its 88,387 square feet on the sixth floor. It is moving to 120 Broadway.”

The space at 620 Avenue of the Americas “marks the eighth lease WeWork announced in Manhattan this month, including 67,858 square feet at 419 Park Avenue South, 52,477 square feet at 550 Seventh Avenue and 110,500 square feet spread across four Midtown buildings,” wrote Commercial Observer. “WeWork also announced on May 9 that it partnered with RXR to manage a 90,000 square foot coworking space at 75 Rockefeller Plaza, where it will split the cost of renovations and share revenue with RXR, Crain’s New York Business reported.”

The Los Angeles Times reported that WeWork Cos. is currently in the midst of discussions with various banks about arranging a $2.75-billion credit line ahead of the planned initial public offering, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

“JPMorgan Chase & Co. is leading the potential financing, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans aren’t public. Representatives for the bank and WeWork declined to comment,” the Times wrote. “WeWork, which rents office space and desks to workers around the world, said in April it had filed paperwork confidentially with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for an IPO. It could be the year’s biggest offering after Uber Technologies Inc., which raised $8.1 billion but has seen shares slide since its May 10 debut.”

Investors are noting that WeWork’s expansion has, indeed, been impressive. Last week, executives announced plans to open a fifth Philadelphia space at 11th and Ludlow streets, in a building appropriately called 1100 Ludlow.

According to Technically Philly, the company “will occupy the seventh and eighth floors of the East Market development project, covering 50,5014 square feet. The space is expected to open in the fall of 2019. The new site — just across the street from The Yard’s first Philly location at 21 S. 11th St. — is the fifth local WeWork space since the global company expanded into Philadelphia in 2016.”

There is more gloomy news for New York City and state residents. The United States is now enjoying impressive job growth, with more than 263,000 new jobs in April alone. The nation is also experiencing the lowest unemployment rate since December 1969. This does not, however affect each city and state in the country. Notably, NYS and NYC have yet to reap the bulk of the benefits.

WalletHub has compiled an official ranking of the Best and Worst States for Jobs, based on labor data from the 50 states. The list aims to help job searchers find an ideal work environment, based on 33 key indicators of job-market strength, opportunity and a healthy economy. NYS was ranked as number 20 out of 50. The survey provides isolated ‘job market’ ranking, in which NYS ranked at 8th place, and an overall ranking that combines job market data with “economic environment”, offering insight into how a state handles their labor force.

NYS ranked in 35th place after the ‘economic environment’ was factored in. The winner of best state for the overall rank was Massachusetts, followed by Washington, Colorado, Vermont, and in fifth place New Hampshire. In the ranking for ‘job market’ ranked independently, Massachusetts took first place, followed by Colorado, Vermont, Minnesota, and in fifth place New Hampshire. In the ‘Economic environment’ rank, Washington state was first, followed by New Jersey in second place, Texas, Wyoming, and then North Dakota at fifth.

In the economic environment study, researchers compared several economic factors, more heavily weighting influences that would greatly impact a job seeker’s decision to settle somewhere, such as median annual income, state-income tax burdens and job security; and less weight to variables like job satisfaction and employee benefits.

The most job opportunities were found in New Hampshire, followed by North Dakota, then Iowa, Vermont in fourth place and Hawaii in fifth place. Distinguished for having the highest “Median Annual Income” was Virginia in first place, followed by Utah, Minnesota, New Jersey and Maryland in fifth place.

NYS did manage to top the “Worst State” list, for “longest time spent commuting”, in which NYS came in at number 50. The state was also ranked dead last at number 50 for worse state for having the lowest “median annual income”.

NYC fared even worse. Earlier in the year, WalletHub ranked the “best cities for jobs”. In that list, New York City ranked at 85th place overall, out of 182 cities listed. NYC’s isolated job market rank was also 85th and its socio-economics rank was 86th place. Other cities in NY also fared poorly. Rochester, Yonkers and Buffalo were listed at numbers 146, 149 and 155, respectively.

Real-estate developer Michael D’Alessio will begin serving his sentence of six years in federal prison by Wednesday June 5th. The ‘friendly’ NYC developer was known by his clients as the portrait of generosity and kindness. He was said to be quick to lend a hand, or a chauffeur to a friend. He frequently hosted guests at his $13 million home in Water Mill, LI. But, alas, that was all before he pleaded guilty to embezzling $58 million from his wealthy clients. “People who commit Ponzi schemes lead you to think they’re your best friend before stabbing you in the back,” said one real-estate professional who was scammed by D’Alessio.

D’Alessio’s clients were shocked. When investing with him, his checks had arrived like clockwork. He successfully renovated apartments and homes in the most well-to-do neighborhoods. D’Alessio paid investors standard annual returns of 15 to 18 percent, but he also went out of his way to personally guarantee the dividends. Now in hindsight, investors say they should have seen his extra efforts as a sign of his fraud.

As reported by the NY Post, in late 2017, D’Alessio emailed his investors telling them that due to escalating development costs and an unstable real-estate market, there would be no payments for some time. By early 2018, 14 individuals and four companies filed civil suits accusing D’Alessio of swindling them. According to court documents, one couple lost $100,000 that was set aside to help a sick relative. Another lost a $500,000 college fund.

In May 2018, the White Plains-based developer filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy, foreclosing eight of his properties. On August 30th, he was arrested in his Upper East Side home for wire fraud, where police found a firearm and $44,000 in cash. D’Alessio was charged with funneling roughly $58 million in funds that should have been used for renovations, through a set-up of more than 200 bank accounts. As per prosecutors, D’Alessio was operating a Ponzi scheme in which he used money from new investors to pay off older ones. Between 2015 and 2018, he also reportedly spent the money in the investment funds to afford his own lavish lifestyle and to pay off millions of dollars in losses from casino gambling.

D’Alessio, 53, was sentenced to 72 months in prison for defrauding investors in real estate projects located in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, the Hamptons, Westchester and elsewhere. His incarceration also includes making false claims and concealing assets in his bankruptcy case. D’Alessio was also ordered to pay restitution of $58,090,047 and was forced to forfeit all the holdings purchased with funds from the scam.

Uber posted a loss of over $1 billion in its first quarter as a public company, well above last year’s reported operating loss of $478 million. The news, though colossal, is in line with expectations. The ride-share giant, founded in 2009, also confirmed Wall Street’s qualms about slowing growth. The company offered investors no inkling of when it may begin to turn a profit, if ever. Though, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi reportedly told German newspaper, Handelsblatt, earlier this week, that the company may be profitable within the next year or two.

In spite of all the gloomy news, and confirmation of the company’s bottom line deficit, the stock price for Uber was up 2.5 percent on Thursday in after-hours trading, reaching $40.80, as Khosrowshahi conveyed confidence in an earnings call. Uber’s costs increased 35 percent in the first quarter, due to promotions and discounts that it offered. The San Francisco-based company had its IPO, towards the end of April, at the price of $45 per share. Its shares are currently roughly 12 percent lower despite Khosrowshahi’s efforts to enlighten investors with his vision of Uber as the dominant force in all forms of transportation.

As reported by the NY Post, the company’s Chief Executive asked investors not to grow wary with the stock’s poor performance and its unimpressive public debut, saying the company will become increasingly efficient as it continues its expansion. “It is ultimately just one moment in a much larger journey,” said Khosrowshahi, adding: “Our teams are very, very motivated to prove Uber’s value to our shareholders.”

As far as revenue goes, Uber beat Wall Street expectations of $3.04 billion, posting $3.1 billion in revenue, in a 20 percent leap over last year’s figures. Also, Uber boasted that its global monthly active users rose from 91 million at the end of the last quarter, up to 93 million. Uber’s overall ride-share “bookings”, or total fares paid by riders, were up 34% in the first quarter, reaching $14.65 billion.

In other upbeat results, the company said it is seeing a decline in competition from “the other player,” referring of course to its chief rival Lyft, stating that it has “started to see signs of less aggressive pricing.” Lyft, which had its IPO in March, is currently trading at nearly 30 percent below its IPO price. During extended trading on Thursday, after Uber’s announcement, share prices for Lyft edged upward 2.3 percent, reaching $56.10.

Jaguar Land Rover of Freeport has been bringing high-end SUV’s back to the South Shore in a major way. Two years ago, Jaguar Freeport and Land Rover of Freeport became one of the first in the country to feature the new conceptual design created exclusively for the Jaguar and Land Rover brands. At over 30,000 square feet, their high end, cutting edge dealership layout features a 15 car showroom, a 22 bay service department with 3 lane service drive up area and will create jobs for at least 50 additional employees. To make your luxury experience complete, they offer clients who lease or have purchased a vehicle from them the convenience of complimentary pick up and delivery for scheduled maintenance as well as an all Jaguar and Land Rover loaner fleet.

At the helm of this grand undertaking is Jack Weidinger, Dealer Principal of Jaguar Freeport, Land Rover Freeport and North Bay Cadillac Buick and GMC. No stranger to the industry, Weidinger remains as excited today about all the prospects that a dealership of this magnitude will bring to the South Shore’s economy as he was in 2016.

“Land Rover has not been on the South Shore since 2009,” says Weidinger. “This development brings the Land Rover brand back to the South Shore with an extremely high-end design and our reputation for business excellence and customer support.”

As a third-generation dealer principal with over 20 years personal experience, Jack knows that he has a lot to live up to with a family heritage of over 80 years in business.

“When we opened our original Jaguar dealership in 1999, there wasn’t a lot of development in our area. Since then, many businesses opened in the surrounding properties and I hope we had something to do with that. Since the addition of the Land Rover brand, we have had the same level of success that we have always enjoyed and this leads to further development in the Freeport area. The Jaguar and Land Rover brands are stronger than ever because consumers really value the combination of style, performance and practicality that Jaguar and Land Rover provides. My team and I are thrilled with the results!”

The site of the new Jaguar Land Rover Freeport dealership is located at 146 Sunrise Highway, Freeport, NY.

About Jaguar and Land Rover of Freeport:

Jaguar Land Rover Freeport is part of the Weidinger Auto Group. The Weidinger Auto Group started with Jaguar in 1938 and grew to what includes today: Land Rover Freeport, Jaguar Freeport, North Bay Cadillac Buick GMC, Vantage Auto Body, the Pre-Owned Center and multiple service locations throughout the North and South Shores of Long Island.

President Donald J. Trump is expanding his trade war. He has threatened to escalate tariffs on imports from Mexico by June 10th, in retaliation for the country’s unrestrained flow of migrants illegally crossing into our borders. In his speech last Thursday, the President vowed to impose tariffs, beginning at 5 percent and increasing monthly, possibly up to 25 percent by October. As reported by the NY Post, the tariffs will continue and escalate until the Trump administration is satisfied that Mexico is doing what it can to prevent the stream of migrants entering the US from the southern border.

Wall Street, and avocado lovers, reacted with fear. The Dow Jones industrial average nosedived 354.84 points, or 1.4 percent, to close at 24,815.04 on Thursday. The blue chips index now has sixth consecutive week of closing in the red. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq both closed lower on Thursday, down 1.3 percent and 1.5 percent, respectively.

The financial market is still reeling from the impact of trade tariffs imposed on China, last month. The threat of these new tariffs will increase the burden of companies who are already struggling to adjust their supply chains, now that cheap goods from China seem to be a thing of the past.

In the imminent trade war with Mexico, one of the industries most impacted will undoubtedly be the Detroit automakers. Of the cars they sold in the previous year, 2.5 million of them were assembled in Mexico, as per data from Cox Automotive. The stock price for shares of General Motors and Ford fell 4.3 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively. Shares of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles dropped 5.8 percent. Since the North American Free Trade Agreement was passed in 1994, Automakers, in search of low-priced labor, moved their productions to Mexico. “Many thought Mexico would be an alternative, but now that looks in jeopardy,” said Cliff Hodge, director of investments for Cornerstone Wealth in North Carolina. “This was completely off the market’s radar and we’re seeing the resulting swift and sharp reaction,” he added.

The President maintains that the tariffs will bring back jobs to the US. “In order not to pay Tariffs, if they start rising, companies will leave Mexico, which has taken 30% of our Auto Industry, and come back home to the USA,” Trump tweeted on Friday.

Mexico too is reeling from the new policy. Roughly 80 percent of all of Mexico’s exports are to the United States, mostly manufactured merchandise including cars and televisions. Jesus Seade, Mexico’s deputy foreign minister for North America, was taken by surprise. He said the easiest response to would be an “eye for an eye”, but he then cautioned that reciprocal actions would lead to a trade war “and that is the last thing that we want.” Seade dejectedly recalled the work he has done for the past 20 months, drafting a replacement for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with the US. “This is difficult … even more so between two nations trying to seal a wonderful trade deal. The best trade deal in history according to Trump himself and suddenly he throws this in the way,” Seade said.