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Mattis: ‘America’s Got to Up Its Game in the Arctic’

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The United States needs to “up its game” in the Arctic and deal with an increasingly important and developing part of the world, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Monday, as a warming Arctic opens up new sea lanes and oil and minerals reserves.

“Certainly America’s got to up its game in the Arctic.

There’s no doubt about that,” Mattis told reporters in Alaska before leaving on an Asia trip

Mattis said part of that would be an increased coast guard presence.

Warming in the Arctic has raised the prospect of a new rush for resources. The Arctic is estimated to hold more hydrocarbon reserves than Saudi Arabia and Russia.

“So the reality is that we’re going to have to deal with the developing Arctic … It is also going to open not just to transport but also to energy exploration,” Mattis said.

The United States and Russia have both expressed interest in boosting Arctic drilling, and Russia has bolstered its military presence in the north.

Russia, which is in the midst of a major rearmament program, has embarked upon its biggest military push in the Arctic since the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union, beefing up its military presence and capabilities.

Under President Vladimir Putin, Moscow is rushing to re-open abandoned Soviet military, air and radar bases on remote Arctic islands and build new ones as it pushes ahead with a claim to almost half a million square miles of the Arctic.

Also, earlier this year China outlined ambitions to extend President Xi Jinping’s signature Belt and Road Initiative to the Arctic by developing shipping lanes opened up by global warming.

China’s increasing prominence in the region has prompted concerns from Arctic states over its long-term strategic objectives, including possible military deployment.

Republican Senator Dan Sullivan from Alaska, standing alongside Mattis, said there was bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress to see the Arctic in more strategic terms.

“I agree with the secretary, I think we’re behind, but I think we’re finally starting to catch up,” Sullivan said.

By: Walter Metuth

U.S Military Signs $193 Million Deal to Buy Israeli Tank Defense Systems

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The U.S Military is set to purchase $193 Million worth of Israeli TROPHY active vehicle protection systems, also known as Me’il Ruach, or Wind Breaker.

The system was developed in 2009 by Israeli defense firm Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, which partnered with American defense contractor Leonardo DRS in 2012, in order to manufacture the system.

The system was developed in 2009 by Israeli defense firm Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, which partnered with American defense contractor Leonardo DRS in 2012, in order to manufacture the system.

According to a Rafael statement, The U.S army inked the contract with Leonardo DRS in order to arm it’s Abram tanks with the Israeli defense system.

“Under the terms of the contract, Leonardo DRS will provide the [US] Army with TROPHY systems, countermeasures, and maintenance kits,” the statement read, although adding that some of the system’s parts will be manufactured in Israel.

The system uses radar detection in order to spot incoming missiles and predict their trajectories. It then fires rounds of metal pellets, causing any incoming missiles to detonate before coming into contact with the vehicle.

Vice President of Leonardo DRS, Aaron Hankins said in statement: “Leonardo DRS is proud to be a part of this important effort to bring life-saving technology to our war-fighters, and we are actively investing to ensure TROPHY provides a solid, American-made foundation for the Army’s coming Vehicle Protection Suite.”

By: Yona Schnitzer
(TPS)

UN General Assembly Resolution Condemns Terrorists’ Use of ‘Human Shields’

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In a first for the UN General Assembly, the international body amended the Global Counter Terrorism Strategy on Tuesday to specifically denounce the use of civilians as human shields.

The United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday updated its Global Counter Terrorism Strategy, amending it to condemn the use of civilians as human shields by terrorist organizations.

Israel’s Mission to the UN in cooperation with the United States Mission was instrumental in advocating the resolution, which denounces the misuse of “schools and hospitals, for military purposes such as launching attacks and storing weapons” and strongly condemns the use of “civilians to shield military objectives from attacks.”

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon commented on the resolution, calling it “another important step in our efforts [to] change the rules of the game at the UN.”

For almost three months, Gaza-based terrorists have exploited the Hamas-orchestrated “March of Return” riots along Israel’s border, which use a combination of terror group operatives and civilian human shields in an attempt to breach Israeli territory.

The Hamas terror group has a long history of using human shields, including young children, in addition to storing weapons in UN schools and facilities, going so far as to launch rockets from high-density civilian locations.

In welcoming the resolution on Tuesday, Danon commented, “Less than two weeks ago, a plurality of members in the General Assembly voted to denounce Hamas, and now today’s resolution explicitly condemned terrorists for the despicable double war crime of hiding behind women and children while attacking civilians.”

“There is much work to be done, but this milestone accomplishment brings us closer to the day when the UN will focus on truly bringing security and stability to the world,” Ambassador Danon continued.

The UN originally adopted the Global Counter Terrorism Strategy in 2006 and reviews the policy every two years. The UN describes it as “a unique global instrument used to enhance national, regional and international efforts to counter terrorism.”

By: WIN Staff
(World Israel News)

Trump Meets Jordan’s Abdullah as US Prepares to Unveil Mid-East Peace Plan

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President Donald Trump meets with King Abdullah II of Jordan in the Oval Office of the White House, June 25, 2018, in Washington.

As the U.S. prepares to roll out its Middle East peace plan, President Donald Trump met with King Abdullah of Jordan about stalled Israeli-Palestinian negotiations on a deal.

So far, the White House has not disclosed details about the latest U.S. peace initiative, which Trump has touted as “The Deal of the Century.”

Speaking after a meeting with Abdullah at the White House, Trump did not say much about the plan to reporters.

“His Majesty knows we’re doing very well in the Middle East; a lot of progress has been made in the Middle East, a lot, and it really started with the end of the horrible Iran deal. That deal was a disaster and things are a lot different since we ended that; a lot different.”

Whatever the plans envisions, its success will most likely require regional support, including from the Jordanian king, who has urged the Trump administration to endorse a two-state solution to the conflict.

​The king is the custodian of holy sites in Jerusalem, the city disputed by Israelis and Palestinians.

Last week, Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, together with Middle East peace envoy Jason Greenblatt, traveled to the region to seek support for the peace plan.

The Palestinians refused to meet with Trump’s team because of the president’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to move the U.S. embassy there.

The Palestinians want east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

In an interview with a Palestinian newspaper, Kushner stated that the Trump administration will forge a peace plan, with or without the Palestinians’ involvement.

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said that Washington is moving away from a diplomatic solution.

“The United States administration of President Trump has actually moved from the squares of negotiations to the squares of dictations. They are determined to dictate a solution,” said Erekat.

Trump and Abdullah also discussed other issues, including terrorism, the crisis in Syria and Iran’s influence in the region.

By: Patsy Widakuswara

Grimm & Donovan Fight it Out to the End in SI Congressional Primary

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After $3 million and two very contentious debates, the Staten Island Congressional seat being fought over by Rep. Dan Donovan and ex-Rep. Michael Grimm will draw to a close Tuesday as Republican primary voters head to the polls.

The contest has overshadowed a series of rare challenges brought by activists against longtime Democratic lawmakers because of the publicity this primary has drawn.

Donovan’s campaign faces a fierce challenge from Grimm, the ex-convict who once held Donovan’s seat until being indicted on tax fraud charges.

President Trump’s son Donald Jr. recorded a robocall for the incumbent, which voters began receiving Monday, The New York Post reports.

“If you’re a loyal supporter of President Trump, you’ll get Dan across the finish line,” Donald Jr. says in the taped message. “Dan’s opponent will lose a seat to Nancy Pelosi.”

The Republican establishment has rallied to Donovan as it fears Grimm would put the seat in play and give Democrats another opening to win the House in November in the general election. The establishment appears to want to avoid supporting a convicted tax cheat after supporting a credibly accused child molester in Alabama’s Roy Moore backfired.

For a taste of the tumultuous and insult-laden race this has been, here are some exchanges from one of their debates. “‘He needs a federal pension, he needs a federal job for one more year,’ Donovan charged on WABC radio. ‘Someone who didn’t pay his federal taxes now wants a federal job from us on taxpayer money.’ Grimm retorted, claiming it was Donovan who was seeking another two years in Congress for his pension. ‘I never said that,’ Donovan shot back. ‘That is untrue.’ ‘Stop predicting my future,’ he added, as the two talked over each other. Grimm pounced: ‘I’ve already predicted your future, in fact, I’m going to define it when you get beat.’”

The candidates could get nasty with their insults and tone at times, and they constantly interrupted each other. Some of the accusations were downright inflammatory. Grimm accused Donovan of offering to help him get a presidential pardon for his tax evasion conviction that led him to resign his seat that was then taken by Donovan, which Donovan denies. Grimm accused Donovan of lying about this denial.

The two will face off in another debate this Thursday, and the primary election is on June 26. Grimm leads Donovan by 10 points.

The contest promises to be a low-turnout affair, which observers say bolsters Grimm’s chances. In 2016, citywide turnout in the congressional primaries was just 8 percent, the New York Post reports.

Tuesday’s GOP victor will face the winner of the Democratic primary for the 11th Congressional District, which decorated war veteran Max Rose is expected to win easily.

By: Karen Blankenship

DeBlasio’s Marijuana Policy Off to Tough Start with NYPD

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Mayor Bill de Blasio has ordered the NYPD to stop arresting people for smoking marijuana in public, a move popular with the public but a challenge for the police, according to The Daily News.

“Marijuana is such a ridiculous thing to arrest people for and as you know it’s always young black men,” resident James Sylvia said.

“Too many people are arrested for small things and then they languish in jail if they don’t have the money to get out,” Upper West Side resident Diane Finkelstein said.

“Probably a good idea because a lot of people are in jail because of that, and the cops should be arresting more important stuff,” added David Chandler of the Bronx.

Despite this public outcry against a drug a majority of people think should be legal, the New York Police Department has to figure out what to do as it considers the public safety implications. An example comes from new research out of Colorado that shows the number of drivers involved in fatal crashes when legalized cannabis was involved rose sharply.

In 2013, 10 percent of drivers in fatal crashes tested positive for cannabis, and the Denver Post reported in 2016 that it was 20 percent.

A spokesman for the mayor told CBS2’s Kramer the NYPD would have to design a policy that would allow cops to make arrests for certain “exceptions,” referring to an issue of “carve-outs” in the directive. People who could still be arrested could include those on parole, on probation and with outstanding warrants.

Drug advocates say not arresting people for public use of cannabis is great, but they think there should be no carve-outs.

“The carve-outs, for those on parole or on probation, is still a representation and showing a continued commitment to criminalization around this plan, as we’ve experienced in the past,” Chris Alexander of the Drug Policy Alliance said.

A 30-day working group looking at the issue of how the NYPD handles the enforcement of cannabis laws to the New York City Police Department and Mayor Bill de Blasio announcing the city will relax its enforcement of marijuana laws. The change may one day not matter if Albany changes the laws, but the mayor seems optimistic and also doesn’t want to wait around for change before making changes himself. Officers will issue summonses instead of making arrests for the majority of cannabis crimes starting in September.

Speaking on Spectrum 1, the mayor said “I think now having looked at new ways to address the here and now, it does not negate that the policies of even the recent past have had a real impact on a lot of New Yorkers.”

The New York Times reports that black people in the city were arrested on low-level marijuana charges at eight times the rate of white people over the last three years. The Police Department has blamed the disparity on complaints from residents about marijuana, but a New York Times analysis found that among neighborhoods where people called to complain about marijuana at the same rate, the police almost always made arrests at a higher rate in the area with more black residents.

By: Ashley Koziol

City Comptroller Report Exposes Parks Department Taxpayer Waste

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The city Parks Department’s poor oversight over how private contractors handle department construction projects has cost taxpayers nearly $5 million, city Comptroller Scott Stringer said.

“The weaknesses we found in [the department’s] controls over” construction managers “were evidenced by missing and incomplete construction records, flawed designs, delays in obtaining required permits, and instances in which coordination with other agencies and utilities was neglected or ineffective,” Stringer’s office said after conducting a two-year audit ending June 30, 2016.

“Given these deficiencies, [Parks] cannot consistently ensure that [construction managers] are fulfilling their contractual responsibilities to properly monitor construction contractors’ activities and communicate results to [the department].”

Two high-profile, problem-plagued projects are the $237 million Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point and the $54 million restoration of McCarren Park’s pool and bathhouse in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The report shows that nearly $800,000 at President Donald Trump’s Bronx golf course.

Poor oversight also led to 902 days of delays and $932,227 in cost overruns at McCarren Park’s historic Olympic-size pool and bathhouse, according to the report.

Poor construction oversight resulted in 962 days of delays and $785,410 in cost overruns at the public 18-hole golf course, which opened in 2015 and is managed by the Trump Organization, Stringer’s audit found.

The New York Post last year reported that the department is undergoing legal battle with lead contractor Commodore Construction Corp. and other parties who oversaw the rehab of what is widely considered the city’s “crown jewel” pool. Commodore Construction is a mid-sized construction company based in Westchester’s Mount Vernon, a short train ride from Grand Central Terminal.

The restoration has turned into what the New York Post calls “a money pit” after the pool and bathhouse began falling apart following its 2012 grand reopening. The park opened in 1906 as Greenpoint Park. A short three years later, the park was renamed McCarren Park after State Senator Patrick H. McCarren.

The city has set aside $14 million for a future project it hopes will fix the existing structural problems, the New York Post reports.

Other agency projects where poor management allegedly cost taxpayers included construction of a carousel and a bikeway in Battery Park.

The carousel project, overseen by the LiRo Group, saw a 208 percent increase in projected costs.

Following 1,199 days of construction delays, costs rose by $928,575, to $1,374,975.

Some reasons for the delays included problems contractors had obtaining a building permit and incomplete designs, The New York Post reports.

The bikeway project saw a hike of $814,304 in projected costs following 599 days of delays.

The audit covered 69 projects, 27 of which were not completed on schedule.

The department said it “disagrees with the report and many of its findings and conclusions.”

It also said the sampled projects accounted for just 6 percent of the its projects in the audit period.

By: Julian Froyd

Two Indicted in LI Car Crash that Claimed the Lives of Engaged Jewish Couple

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Two people responsible for the deaths of an engaged couple were arraigned today on grand jury indictment charges in a Nassau County courtroom, The Yeshiva World reports.

Zakiyyah Steward, 25, and 35-year-old Rahmel Watkins were drag racing down the Nassau Expressway and crashed into Yisroel Levin Z”L, 21, and Elisheva Kaplan A”H, 20, killing them instantly.

The defendants return to court on July 18 when Steward could face up to 25 years in prison and Watkins could spend five to 15 years in prison.

“This indictment alleges that Yisroel and Elishiva’s lives were stolen, just as their lives were about to begin as a married couple, by the defendants who recklessly drove too fast in bad weather and while one of them was intoxicated,” District Attorney Madeline Singas said. “Nassau County will not tolerate this kind of unconscionable disregard for life. My heart goes out to the Levin and Kaplan families,” Singas said.

DA Singas recaps the scene of the crime, saying that on April 4, 2018, at approximately 1:40 a.m., defendants Watkins and Steward were allegedly part of a group of cars traveling in the northbound lanes of the Nassau Expressway in Inwood from Far Rockaway to a Queens casino. Defendant Watkins was allegedly operating a 2010 BMW 550 GT recklessly and at a high rate of speed when his vehicle crossed over the double yellow lines and struck a 2017 Nissan Altima head-on being driven by Levin, with his 20-year-old fiancé, Kaplan in the passenger seat. They were returning home from a Passover gathering and were to be married this month.

Defendant Steward was allegedly driving a 2016 Hyundai Genesis next to Watkins while allegedly driving at a high rate of speed, while intoxicated and impaired by marijuana. Steward’s vehicle also struck Levin’s Altima, sending the car into a fiery crash and instantly killing the soon-to-be-wed couple. The defendants suffered minor injuries in the crash.

As previously reported on YWN, a Brooklyn judge has admitted he had been too lenient with Zakiyyah Steward, twice sending the 25-year-old into a rehabilitation program after being convicted for a brazen burglary spree, and ignoring prosecutors requests for incarceration.

The following is an unedited statement by the Levin and Kaplan families, given to YWN following the indictments:

“The Levin and Kaplan families have been devastated by the loss of Yisroel Levin and Elisheva Kaplan. There were no finer, more beloved, and more loving young people than Yisroel and Elisheva. They were destined for a beautiful life together as husband and wife, surrounded by their loving families and friends. The world shook when they were so abruptly taken from us, so tragically and with such violent force. The void left by their absence from this world has only been magnified in the less than three months since April 4th. We have been strengthened immeasurably by the tens of thousands of friends and family, who have reached out to us to share our pain. The countless good deeds being performed by friends and strangers alike as a merit to their memory do provide a degree of comfort. But nothing can replace Yisroel and Elisheva. We thank the Nassau County District Attorney’s office and the Nassau County Police Department for their diligent, resourceful, and professional efforts. We hope and pray that these proceedings will bring a level of accountability to those whose behavior caused this never ending heartbreak.”

By: Angelo Moore

Hizzoner Favors Border Photo-Op Over Migrant Kids in City

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Mayor Bill de Blasio visited an El Paso child shelter on Thursday after promising to help the hundreds of migrant kids being held in New York without their parents.

At least six people traveled with him to Texas to join 12 other mayors in protest of President Donald Trump’s “zero tolerance” border policy. They demanded entry to the shelter while admitting it was an entirely futile effort.

“We fully expect to not be told the truth, we fully expect to be turned away the way senators and congressmen have been turned away just trying to get the honest truth about what’s happening to these children just as all of you have been doing,” de Blasio said at the press conference.

The New York post describes how de Blasio, on a taxpayer-funded trip, led a procession of news cameras to the gate of the facility a “tent city” where an estimated 360 kids are housed. A guard blocked the entryway.

“Hi, how you doing? Mayor Bill de Blasio, mayor of New York City, is there a supervisor to talk to here?” he asked the guard, who did not respond. The lack of response prompted de Blasio to turn to the cameras to insist that he should be allowed in because he’s a mayor.

“Everyone who works here knows that a group of mayors from all over the country came here on behalf of our millions and millions of constituents to know what’s going on,” he said.

“And the fact is this is our federal government denying access, not allowing information and it’s not American. It’s crazy,” the mayor continued.

De Blasio said in an interview on MSNBC that the trip wasn’t a publicity stunt because his it is his duty as an elected official to ask questions about what’s happening elsewhere in the country.

“The fact is this is something the American people care about, de Blasio started. “How was our money being spent? Is it being spent in a way that we would feel comfortable with?” he asked.

“That is what public officials are supposed to ascertain. There is something eerie about a government agency saying we’re not gonna let the media in, we are not going to let public officials in. That would never fly in my city. I’ll tell you that much. New Yorkers would never stand for that. I don’t think Americans anywhere would stand for that,” the mayor said.

Despite Trump signing an executive order Wednesday to stop border-crossing children being removed from their parents, de Blasio said he “has not solved the problem.”

The executive order violates a 1997 consent decree saying that you can’t detain or imprison children for over 20 days. A court may therefore tell the administration that they can’t follow the new directive.

Speaking to press, de Blasio said “zero tolerance still exists. That’s breaking an American tradition of respecting people fleeing oppression. The families are not reunified. We don’t know when they’ll be. We’re going to fight for that but the hope is that people are demanding a change and it cannot be ignored. And if it won’t happen in Washington, we will make it happen.”

By: Karina Williams

Kosher, Halal School Meal Programs Get $1M Boost in NYC Schools

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City Councilman Chaim Deutsch (D-Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, Brighton Beach) has announced the inclusion of $1 million in the City’s Fiscal Year 2019 budget to fund a pilot program that will offer kosher and halal meals in New York City public and non-public schools.

Deutsch hopes the kosher and halal lunch option will make Universal Free Lunch truly accessible for all New York children.

The move follows Deutsch partnering with City Councilmember Rafael Espinal (D-Bushwick, East New York). The two introduced a resolution in 2014 calling upon the Department of Education to provide lunches for Jewish and Muslim students who follow religious dietary laws.

“When I became chair of the New York City Council’s Jewish Caucus in early 2018, one of my first priorities was pushing for the kosher/halal lunch option in schools. During this budget cycle, I fought to include funding for a pilot program for both public and non-public schools,” Deutsch said.

“I’m grateful for the leadership of Speaker Corey Johnson, who ensured that this historic $1 million was included in the City Council’s Fiscal Year 2019 budget. This is a huge step forward towards ensuring that kosher and halal meals become a universal option for the 1.5 million New York City students in public and non-public schools,” Deutsch said.

Johnson spoke about how he believes these investments in both our public and non-public schools will make universal free lunch possible. “I thank Council Members Chaim Deutsch and Rafael Espinal for their leadership and advocating for young New Yorkers,” the speaker said.

City Council Member Mark Treyger (D-Coney Island, Bensonhurst Gravesend), chair of the Committee on Education, said making free lunch accessible to more New York City students helps take the burden off of working families and ensures that children are treated with dignity and respect, and better equipped to succeed academically.

Espinal said children cannot learn when they are hungry, a statement with which experts and advocates agree. and for too long that has been the case of Muslim and Jewish students in our schools. “I am proud to have partnered with Council Member Deutsch to secure $1 million to make kosher and halal lunch options available to students so that they can get the variety and nutrition they need to succeed, he said.

Both Jewish and Muslim leadership supported the action.

“We applaud the leadership of Speaker Corey Johnson and Council Member Chaim Deutsch,” said Maury Litwack, Executive Director of Teach NYS, a project of the Orthodox Union. He continued by saying the councilmembers “immediately understood the importance of expanding universal free lunch to extend to those who keep kosher and halal and worked tirelessly to fight for all students- both public and nonpublic.”

Sheikh Musa Drammeh from the Islamic Leadership School said “we are extremely excited to see the hard work of equability champions bearing fruits for observing Jewish and Muslim students in our diverse New York City public and non-public schools. This is indeed a great first step towards equitable treatment of all our wonderful students who come from many different backgrounds, and we are grateful to Council Member Chaim Deutsch for championing this.”

The issue had reached a boiling point in recent years, with activists ready to make sure all kids could get lunch once and for all, including those who are less fortunate and adhere to religious dietary requirements. In September of 2016 for example, students joined a City Hall rally with City Comptroller Scott Stringer and Public Advocate Letitia James, in a continued push to get action like what Deutsch and his colleagues accomplished this week.

By: Max Menaker

NYS to Require Credit Reporting Agencies to Register After Equifax Security Breach

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New York regulators are requiring credit reporting agencies to register with the state following a 2017 Equifax security breach that exposed the personal information of about 148 million Americans, according to Midland Reporter-Telegram.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday that the state Department of Financial Services created new regulations meant to protect the private data of millions of New Yorkers. State financial services regulators now have oversight for the first time over credit reporting agencies operating in New York State, according to the governor.

Cuomo says that the agencies have to do more than just register with the state. The credit reporting firms will have to comply with the state’s cybersecurity standard, MRT reports.

Last September Atlanta-based Equifax’s computers were hacked, exposing personal information such as Social Security numbers for 147.9 million Americans, including about 8 million New Yorkers.

According to a report in The New York Times, some victims successfully sued the credit scoring company in court by being able to prove how the data breach hurt them. In some cases, they showed receipts for services they had to purchase because of the breach. They have also researched local laws and have documented everything. One victim who was compensated, Christina Bernstein, received a check for $7,440. She advised other victims to take screenshots of everything and to keep records of phone calls. The New York Times also reported that in addition to the battles consumers are waging against Equifax in small claims court, bigger lawsuits against Equifax loom, like one in United States District Court in Atlanta. Almost 400 lawsuits from thousands of individuals and businesses have been placed in that one class action case.

Equifax’s data breach, in which sensitive personal information including credit card account information was exposed, will top the charts as the most expensive hack of a company ever. Hitting a record no company would ever want to hold, Equifax said in March the costs associated with the hack have risen to $275 million. At the time Equifax said the $275 million is in addition to the $164 million in pretax costs it reported for the last six months of 2017, according to PYMNTS.com.

Some of the money to be spent in 2018 for the data breach will go towards improving technology and security with upgrades. Other expenses include legal fees and free identity theft services for consumers who were impacted by the attack. At the end of 2017, the cost from the data breach was $439 million, with $125 million that will be covered by an insurance policy, Reuters reported Equifax as saying. Equifax’s earning are down a little over 2 percent over the past 12 months. While the company’s growth rate also slowed, it has managed to use its assets efficiently, Yahoo News reports.

By: Michael Eric Rosenthal

Roseanne Barr Breaks Down in Emotional Interview with NY Rabbi

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Actress Roseanne Barr waves on her arrival to the 75th Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., January 7, 2018. Picture taken January 7, 2018. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

In an emotional interview that comes weeks after losing her namesake show, Roseanne Barr said she definitely feels remorse for the racist tweet that prompted ABC to cancel the revival of “Roseanne.”

Barr recorded a podcast interview with her longtime friend, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, who published an edited transcript and recording of the conversation last Sunday. In the interview, Barr claims she “never would have wittingly called any black person a monkey.”

The interview was her first since the cancellation of “Roseanne,” and she struggled to keep her composure through her constant tears. She also lamented that some people don’t accept her explanation blaming the sleep drug Ambien for her tweet that suggested former Barack Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett was the spiritual creation of the Muslim Brotherhood and “Planet of the Apes” if they were to be put together and create a person.

Barr, speaking to the rabbi, talked about how she’s struggled through the backlash while using G-d as guidance. “I said to G-d, ‘I am willing to accept whatever consequences this brings because I know I’ve done wrong,’” Barr said in the interview. “‘I’m going to accept what the consequences are,’ and I do, and I have,” Barr said. “But they don’t ever stop. They don’t accept my apology, or explanation. And I’ve made myself a hate magnet. And as a Jew, it’s just horrible. It’s horrible,” Barr continued.

Barr said of her tweet that she “didn’t mean what they think I meant.”

“But I have to face that it hurt people,” Barr said. “When you hurt people even unwillingly there’s no excuse. I don’t want to run off and blather on with excuses. But I apologize to anyone who thought, or felt offended and who thought that I meant something that I, in fact, did not mean. It was my own ignorance, and there’s no excuse for that ignorance.”

ABC on Thursday announced it will air a 10-episode Conner family sitcom without Barr in it this fall. In a statement issued by the show’s producer, Barr said she agreed to the settlement to save the jobs of 200 cast and crew members.

Almost a month after ABC cancelled the reboot of the popular late 80s and 90s sitcom following racist and conspiratorial tweets by Roseanne Barr, a source told People Magazine that ”some important progress has been made in discussions about a reboot revolving more around Darlene’s character,” played by Sara Gilbert.

The source stressed though that “there are still iss ues to hash out.” The source said that “the key has been how a show can be done where Roseanne neither participates nor profits,” adding that “as of now, she has agreed, at least in theory, to forego any creative or financial involvement in the spinoff to help save the cast and crew jobs.”

“I’ve lost everything,” Barr said on the podcast. “And I regretted it before I lost everything.”

By: Huey Begnaud

Bronx Councilman Gives $130K in Taxpayer Money to His Former Nonprofit

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Bronx Councilman Mark Gjonaj has included $130,000 of the city budget for the fiscal year to go to his own nonprofit organization, the Albanian-American Community Association, Crain’s Reported

According to the plan’s Schedule C, which lists “discretionary funds” that council members give to groups of their choice, shows two different five-figure donations to the AACA – $55,000 coming from Gjonaj himself, and $75,000 from Speaker Corey Johnson. The document shows that Gjonaj requested that Johnson donate the money to the AACA. According to the budget, both donations are listed as “funding to support community engagement activities including cultural, educational and recreational programming and services.” Other Albanian organizations are listed in the budget to receive a combined $22,777 from the city in the coming fiscal year.

This is the first year that the AACA is receiving money from the city and is also Gjonaj’s first year as a council member. The group was first registered with the state Charities Bureau in March, even though it was incorporated in the state in 2007.

The donation follows State Board of Elections records, which show that in January, Gjonaj gave them $10,000 from his campaign. Gjonaj, who was elected to the council last year and to the New York General Assembly back in 2012, is a second-generation immigrant from Montenegro, and the first person of Albanian descent to be elected to either governing body , according to Crain’s.

The AACA did not list Gjonaj as an executive when they filed with the Charities Bureau, but local and Albanian news reports found by Crain’s New York Business list him as a “co-founder” of the organization. Gjonaj had also listed his personal phone number as a contact on the group’s social media page, and the group’s secretary, Vilma Jankovic, worked on Gjonaj’s campaign.

Furthermore, the address listed as the AACA headquarters on Gjonaj’s political donations account, 970 Morris Park Avenue, is also the office of M & P Realty, Gjonaj’s family business. This address is also listed under the organization’s publicly listed connection with the IRS, which also gives the same phone number for both the AACA and M & P Realty. The filings that the group made with the Charities Bureau give the address at 931 Morris Park Avenue, which is also the address of Gjonaj’s brother’s firm, Celaj, Brija & Gjonaj Property Tax Consultants.

Gjonaj’s office said that the Association is in the process of updating its address to 1740 Hone Avenue on all paperwork, and that he has fully disassociated himself from the group. Interestingly, that address is also home to the law firm Madonna & Del Vecchio, whose partner William Madonna served as legal counsel to Gjonaj’s Assebly office prior to his passing in 2017.

Office spokesman Reginald Johnson told Crain’s New York Business, “The councilman is no longer involved with the organization,” and insisted that all references to Gjonaj being a co-founder of the organization were in error, as he was only a volunteer and supporter of the AACA.

By Ronald Kurtz

Lawyer Tied to Harvey Weinstein Used Old Badge to Impress Women

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Disgraced media mogul Harvey Weinstein stands credibly accused by multiple women of using his position and power to force these women into positions to give him sexual favors. Weinstein doesn’t need any more negative publicity right now, especially as he prepares for trial. He may want to choose his legal representation more carefully.

A former Manhattan prosecutor who’s now a high-profile defense lawyer embroiled in the Harvey Weinstein scandal kept and used his law-enforcement badge after joining the private sector. The Post goes on to describe how the point in using his badge was to impress women.

Alex Spiro, who left the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in July 2013 according to the New York Post, flashed his badge the following year while attending a legal conference in Miami. Sources speaking to The Post said Spiro bragged that he was head of the DA’s “homicide bureau.”

There is no such bureau in the DA’s Office, and one of the women — who knew that fact — called his bluff, sources said.

Someone aware of the encounter informed the DA’s Office, and emails obtained by The Post show that Spiro was called on the carpet a short time later by Administrative Assistant District Attorney Bonnie Sard, who helps District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. oversee internal operations.

At 8:04 a.m. on Sept. 25, 2014, Sard e-mailed Spiro and asked him to meet with her the very next day.

Spiro wrote back three minutes later, saying, “Sure. Ominous email. Everything ok?”

“Don’t meant [sic] to be ominous at all — just trying to get some stuff done from home,” she replied.

The Post obtained the emails under the state Freedom of Information Law. The Miami incident wasn’t an isolated situation. Spiro, who is tied to a man who improperly used his power status to gain leverage over women, repeatedly used his old badge to get into a restricted area in the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse known as the Early Case Assessment Bureau. This area of the courthouse is where prosecutors and cops prepare criminal complaints against newly arrested defendants, sources said.

“I saw him several times after he had left, sitting in ECAB in the seats where police officers sit with prisoners,” said one person who was a prosecutor at the time.

Spiro didn’t do anything wrong by keeping the badge. He just wasn’t allowed to display them in public, according to several former prosecutors.

At the time of the Miami and ECAB incidents, Spiro was an associate of defense lawyer Ben Brafman, who is currently representing Weinstein against charges that the movie mogul raped a woman in 2013 and sexually assaulted another in 2004, The New York Post reports.

Earlier this month, Spiro and Brafman were referenced in a class-action suit filed against Weinstein by three other accusers.

By: Nancy Bobic

New Upscale Condominium Bldg to Be Built on Avenue U in Gravesend

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Anyone in the Gravesend neighborhood who noticed new permits filed for a new five-story residential building at 326 Avenue U were left to use their imaginations if they wanted to picture what the proposed structure would look like. YIMBY has an exclusive first look at the proposed design, by IMC Architecture. The building follows their mission for creating intelligent sustainable communities by utilizing efficient design and planning, YIMBY reports.

A simplistic two-tone palette on the building will try maximizing the aesthetics of the material for a fresh engaging product. Angular terraces will be included on the second through fifth floors. It looks as though a rooftop terrace could also be up top, but the permits are not specific, according to descriptions of the plans by YIMBY.

The 55-foot tall structure will take up 9,060 square feet, with 6,340 square feet dedicated to residential use. Five condominiums will be created. One will extend into the penthouse space to create a duplex.

Astoria-based Vardo Construction Corporation is listed as responsible for the development.

An estimated completion date remains unknown, and the building permits have not been approved yet, YIMBY reports. Vardo Construction Corp is located at 1850 Steinway St. in Astoria and has been in the business of single-family housing construction since 1984.

In the original filing, Brooklyn-based Scarano Realty listed a six-story, 10-unit mixed-use building at 326 Avenue U. The project will include retail space in the cellar and on a mezzanine level connected to the ground floor. The residential units will be located on the second through sixth floors and with an average of about 626 square feet apiece, which YIMBY said is indicative of rental apartments. Amenities will include six off-street parking spaces, storage for 20 bikes, a recreation room on the ground floor, laundry facilities, and a roof terrace, YIMBY reported. David Silberman’s Flushing-based firm is the applicant of record, and the 2,227-square-foot property is currently vacant, YIMBY reported.

The Avenue U stop on the F train is down the block, with Avenue U stops nearby on the BMT Sea Beach line for the N train and the IND Culver line for the Q train. The area has a number of Jewish businesses, including highly respected butchers. Crossing into Sheepshead Bay and over Coney Island Avenue, on the way to the Q train, leads to an area flourishing with Asian restaurants and markets. The Brooklyn beaches are only about two miles south and can be accessed easily by train or by way of the oldest greenway in America by walking or biking down the Ocean Parkway greenway.

By: Bob Meyers

Gridlock to Worsen This Summer in NYC

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This summer the closing of several ramps on the NJ turnpike to The Lincoln Tunnel will bring more gridlock to NYC

In a region that’s already one of the most crowded in the world and relying on dated and often neglected infrastructure, the 80-year-old NJ-495 viaduct connecting the New Jersey Turnpike to the Lincoln Tunnel’s three tubes is about to become even more reliably backed up with standstill traffic.

An estimated two-and-a-half-year rehabilitation project to shore up the bridge and replace the roadway surface will close one lane in each direction, 24 hours per day for about two years. The New Jersey Department of Transportation is overseeing the $90 million undertaking, which it says will extend the life of the bridge by 75 years.

Motorists should expect “severe congestion,” DOT spokesman Steve Schapiro said. Schapiro didn’t provide a date for when the closures would begin that was more specific than “mid-summer.”

“Oh, gosh. I may need to find another way to get to work,” said Jaymin Patel, a project manager for an ad tech company who takes the bus from central New Jersey each day.

The increased gridlock could force truckers to seek alternate ways into the city.The Holland Tunnel, to the south, bars large trucks, and the George Washington Bridge, to the north, is the second-worst truck bottleneck in the nation, according to a study of truck GPS data by the American Transportation Research Institute.

“We’ll try to do off-hour deliveries as much as possible,” said Gail Toth, executive director of the New Jersey Motor Truck Association, an industry advocacy group. “That depends on the type of industries, because not all are open late at night. The ones that can’t, you just try to find the best route possible.”

Ramps from NJ-495 onto US-1-9, a truck-heavy artery running north-south, will be closed. Southbound motorists will be detoured nearly two miles out of their way and through two cloverleaf turns before heading back under NJ-495.

The towns bordering 495 already get spillover traffic, mostly outbound, when the road is backed up. Officials have been meeting in recent months to hammer out plans for the long slog ahead.

The DOT is urging daily commuters to take public transportation or avoid peak periods, but not everyone has good and practical access to mass transit. Michael Caso, a carpentry business owner who moved five years ago to Long Valley, N.J., has made mass transit work for him 40 miles west of the city to which he commutes.

Caso initially tried driving into the city but found the experience “horrific.” Now, he parks his car in a lot under the NJ-495 viaduct at the North Bergen park and ride and takes a bus.

“I work off-peak hours, so my commute is a little different,” Caso said. “The 5:30, 6 a.m. buses are all the tradesmen. At that time, it’s about 13 to 15 minutes into the city. I have been doing it for five years, and I love it,” he said.

For motorists who want to really get creative, and get some fresh air and exercise while they’re at it, they could try using manpower to get across the Hudson River as one man did last Thursday. Ferry commuters saw Scott Holt paddleboarding across the Hudson River during their morning commutes. He told News 4 he was running late for a meeting so he decided to hop on his paddleboard from Jersey City. The journey took 30 minutes, but before motorists decide to trade in the agonizing slow crawl down the helix to the Lincoln Tunnel for a voyage across the mighty Hudson River, they should be advised that this is not a good idea. A confused cop and an angry ferry captain met the paddleboarding commuter on the shores of Manhattan island.

By: Robin Waters