Golden To Participate On Automated Vehicle Panal
State Senator Martin J. Golden (Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, Marine Park, Gerritsen Beach, Gravesend), Chair of the Senate’s Science, Technology, Incubation And Entrepreneurship Committee, yesterday announced that he will participate in a panel discussion on “Automated Vehicles: Principles for Testing in Urban Centers” this Friday.
The discussion will focus on the United States Department of Transportation’s recommendation that each state government assemble an automated vehicle task force to plan holistically for automated vehicles and develop a regulatory framework. There will be a particular focus on New York State and New York City policies, plans and legislation as a baseline case study and compare challenges and opportunities.
Golden will offer remarks on how automated vehicles if operated appropriately can significantly improve roadway safety, however he also has reservations in regard to the impact on New York’s labor market. Golden is also focused on the potential for cyber security and data privacy concerns increasing, as vehicles become more integrated with the internet.
The panel will also include City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, Chair of the Council’s Transportation Committee, Michael Replogle, Deputy Commissioner for Policy at the NYC Department of Transportation and Rodney Stiles, Assistant Commissioner for Data & Technology at the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission.
The panal discusssion is slated for between 2-3:15 p.m., Friday, Dec. 9 at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering’s Pfizer Auditorium, 5 Metrotech Center in Downtown Brooklyn.
Adams Looks At Tech In Schools, Calls For End To Nationwide Divisiveness
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams today will release his administration’s report grading the technology capabilities of Brooklyn schools.
The report will detail areas where he is calling on the City to increase its investment in infrastructure and teacher resources in order to fulfill Mayor de Blasio‘s vision of Computer Science for All. The announcement comes during Computer Science Education Week, for which his Code Brooklyn initiative has coordinated more than 300 schools to participate in the Hour of Code global education movement.
Adams will first present the report inside an outdated computer lab at MS 577 Conselyea Preparatory School in Williamsburg, a middle school that he feels is emblematic of the obstacles and opportunities facing the City in making its public schools a national leader in computer science education. Although MS 577 is one of the lowest-rated schools among those surveyed, they have benefited from strong and creative leadership that is working with Borough President Adams on projects such as a new coding lab and flight simulator.
Other speakers at the announcement will be MS 577 Conselyea Preparatory School Principal Maria Masullo, Codesters founder and CEO Gordon Smith, as well as Code Brooklyn co-founder Rob Underwood, who is also a Brooklyn public school parent.
The report is set for release at 10 a.m., today Dec. 8 MS 577 Conselyea Preparatory School, 208 North 5th Street in Williamsburg.
Then later this evening, Adams will issue a call for healing amid a climate of nationwide divisiveness at the lighting of Brooklyn Borough Hall’s Christmas tree, a 32-foot Balsam fir from Vermont.
Joined by caring Brooklynites, including a range of diverse young people, he will also welcome holiday performances from the Brownsville Recreation Center’s Victory Music and Dance Program and the choir at the St. Joseph’s High School in Downtown Brooklyn.
The Christmas tree lighting is slated for 5:30 p.m.,tonight, Dec, 8 at the Brooklyn Borough Hall Plaza, 209 Joralemon Street in Downtown Brooklyn.
Clarke Statement On Trumps Appointment Of Pruitt To Head EPA
Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (Crown Heights, Flatbush, Sheepshead Bay)released the following statement on the nomination of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
“Since the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established in 1970, Americans have depended on this institution to keep the water we drink clean and to protect us from air pollution that degrades our environment and contributes to disease. We are all conscious of the fact that many of our most vulnerable populations and communities of color are disproportionately affected by environmental pollution and degradation, since power plants are often located in or near such communities and the sources of clean water are compromised by old and corroded infrastructure. For these reasons and many more, we must have an EPA prepared and equipped to fight each day to protect ordinary Americans from the harms imposed by environmental degradation,” said Clarke.
“But Scott Pruitt’s record as Oklahoma’s Attorney General reveals other priorities. He has used his position to fight relentlessly for the fossil fuel producers and chemical companies that want to earn profits regardless of the consequences for our health or the health of our planet. In a time when the evidence of climate change and its impact has become irrefutable and when the crumbling infrastructure of our nation’s water delivery systems are exposing our citizens to lead and other toxins, Mr. Pruitt’s appointment demonstrates a reckless disregard for the people of our nation and the land that we inhabit. We cannot afford to have an EPA Administrator who denies the basic science of climate change at a time when temperatures are rising and weather patterns are disrupted. I will continue to fight for clean air, clean water, and the renewable energy investments that protect our health and our planet and that create jobs.”
Gillibrand Announces Passage of Bringing Postpartum Depression Out of the Shadows Act
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand yesterday announced the Senate’s passage of the bipartisan Bringing Postpartum Depression Out of the Shadows Act to provide targeted, federal funding to screen and treat maternal depression.
The bill would create a grant program administered by U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) to provide funding to states to establish, improve, or maintain programs designed to increase screening, assessment, and referral to treatment for maternal depression among women who are pregnant or up to one year postpartum.
“One in seven women experience postpartum depression every year, but only 15 percent ever receive treatment,” said Gillibrand. “This bill would provide critical opportunities for pregnant and postpartum women to receive screenings and new connections to treatments. This is an important medical service that should be routine for the health and well-being of mother and child. I applaud my colleagues for joining me in support for this legislation, and look forward to seeing it signed into law by the President.”
New York City First Lady Chirlane McCray, who spearheads ThriveNYC, the city’s $850 million effort to address untreated mental illness and substance misuse, hailed Gillibrand as a fierce advocate for women, which she demonstrated once again by her success in securing federal funding to screen and treat maternal depression.
“In New York City we currently screen 80 percent of pregnant women and new mothers and provide treatment referrals to those who need it. Our goal is to screen 100 percent of pregnant women and new mothers, because when they don’t get these services there are long-lasting, negative consequences for the whole family. We need to rid our society of the stigma around maternal depression. No mother should fear being called a bad mom for seeking help. Sen. Gillibrand’s achievement will help New York’s young families get the support they need,” McCray said.
The legislation will now go to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
Donovan, House Fight Against Childhood Cancer
Congressman Dan Donovan (South Brooklyn, Staten Island) and the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday advanced the fight against childhood cancer by passing the ChildhoodCancer STAR Act, legislation Donovan co-sponsored.
The bill, which passed with broad bipartisan support, increases support for pediatric cancer research to accelerate the creation of lifesaving treatments and provide resources to improve care for childhood cancer patients and survivors.
“Children with cancer don’t have time to wait patiently for cures. As a father of a young daughter, I can’t imagine the fear a cancer diagnosis brings to a family. This legislation will accelerate the development of novel cancer therapies to ensure that every child has a chance at the full and healthy future they deserve,” said Donovan.
The bill will now go to the Senate for consideration.
Nadler Hails House Passage of Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act
Congressman Jerrold Nadler (Borough Park, Kensington, and parts of Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, Dyker Heights, Red Hook, Sunset Park and Midwood, and Western Manhattan) and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), issued the following joint statement upon the House’s unanimous passage of the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act (H.R. 6130) by voice vote:
“The Holocaust was one of the darkest times in human history, and so many lost so much as a result of those horrific actions. During those terrible years, the Nazis sought to strip Europe of some of its most priceless works of art, culture, and heritage from the homes and museums of Nazi-occupied European countries.
“The effects of these atrocities are still being felt today, and countries around the world are doing their part to return art and artifacts to their rightful owners. The passage of today’s bill is a promise to the victims of the Holocaust that the United States is committed to creating a fair judicial process for the return of property that was wrongfully stolen during the Holocaust.”
Nadler and Goodlatte introduced the bill, which would help return artwork and other cultural property that was stolen by the Nazis during the Holocaust to their rightful owners.
U.S. Senators Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) introduced the companion legislation, S. 2763, on the senate side and it passed the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Eugene Leads Way In Council Resolution Granting Haitian Immigrants Temporary Protected Status
City Council Member Mathieu Eugene (Flatbush, East Flatbush) led the way this week in the City Council’s passage of Resolution 1290, requesting that the Secretary of Homeland Security grant Haiti a new designation for Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
The designation will provide temporary immigration relief to eligible Haitian nationals in the United States. It is also part of a continued effort to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Haiti, which is currently unable to sustain an influx of Haitian deportees.
Renewed TPS will allow Haitian nationals to remain in the United States and pursue opportunities for a better future. Joining Eugene in pushing the measure were City Council Immigration Committee members Carlos Menchaca, Peter Koo, and Daniel Dromm. On Monday, the Immigration Committee heard from members of the public who voiced concerns regarding the inability of Haiti to sustain an influx of deported citizens.
“Any country in the world, even a rich country, would find it difficult to recover after several natural disasters. I think it makes sense that we, as elected officials, advocate and work together to insure that the American government and homeland security grants TPS to Haitian people who are now in the United States because they cannot return to Haiti,” said Eugene.
Torres Hosts Annual Teacher Toy Drive
Tommy Torres, the male Democratic District leader in the 53rd Assembly District is asking the public to join his Annual Teacher Toy Drive Event tomorrow.
Torres, an Assistant Principal at the Grand Street Campus HS and a District 14 Educator for the past 20 years, has been coming together for several years with teachers and staff from Williamsburg and Bushwick to help fund-raise toys and donations for the local kids from the community.
Toys collected at the event will be distributed on Saturday Dec. 17 throughout local NYCHA Developments and at Woodhull Hospital.
The Annual Teacher Toy Drive is slated for between 4-8 p.m., tomorrow, Dec, 9 at No Bull NYC , 1059 Flushing Avenue in Bushwick.
