BP Adams Calls For Emergency Action On Elevators At Clarke Street Subway Station
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams is calling on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to take emergency action on a broken elevator at Clark Street Station following a recent elevator outage.
On Monday, 17 commuters were trapped for nearly an hour on an elevator at the subway station after the elevator failed. The incident was just one of many in the last several months, as the station’s 87-year-old-elevators continue to break down.
Given recent events and the impact on riders’ safety, Adams will urge the scheduled replacement of the elevators to be fast-tracked to begin before the end of the calendar year. Additionally, he will advocate for opening the station’s emergency stairwell as an alternative for everyday use until the repairs are completed.
Adams will be joined by a coalition of local stakeholders including Representative Nydia Velázquez (D-Northern Brooklyn, Lower Manhattan, Queens) and Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon (D-Brooklyn Heights, Downtown Brooklyn, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Gowanus, Park Slope, Boerum Hill, DUMBO), as well as representatives of Brooklyn Community Board 2 (CB 2), Brooklyn Heights Association (BHA), Cadman Towers, Riders Alliance, and Straphangers Campaign.
The event is slated for 10 a.m., today, Oct. 3, at Clark Street Subway Station (corner of Clark and Henry Streets) in Brooklyn Heights.
Nadler Calls For Accountability In Wake of DHS IG Report Regarding Family Separation Policy
Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-Western Brooklyn, Western Manhattan), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, and Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security, yesterday called for “real” accountability by the Trump Administration for their role in the separation of families policy.
A new report from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of the Inspector General (IG), determined that the Administration misled Congress and the American people about its family separation policy with no plans for tracking children or ensuring reunification with their parents.
The policy of separating children from their parents started as part of President Donald Trump’s “zero-tolerance” enforcement stance on immigrants crossing the border illegally. Trump only issued a executive order to end the controversial practice in June after outrage sparked following the revelation that children were being held at detention centers in isolation of their parents.
“Contrary to the Administration’s earlier claims, the report demonstrates that there was no central database for tracking children and ensuring their eventual reunification with family members. It is unclear if this was the result of willful negligence or gross incompetence, but the result has been the endangerment of child welfare along with prolonged and possible permanent separation of families,” said the joint statement.
“Based on this report, it is clear that the Administration lied to us and the American people about its family separation policy. We call on our Republican colleagues to hold this administration accountable for the actions that continue to shock the conscience of our nation. It is clear this Administration cannot be trusted to provide the truth on its own,” added the statement.
Golden, Malliotakis Denounce Cuomo In Paroling of Police Killers
State Senator Marty Golden (R-Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, Marine Park, Gerritsen Beach, Gravesend, Sheepshead Bay, Borough Park, Midwood) and Assembly member Nicole Malliotakis (R,C,I,Ref – Staten Island/Brooklyn) will join forces today to denounce the recent paroling of convicted police killers by the New York State Parole Board (NYS PB) and Governor Andrew Cuomo.
In the last several months, the South Brooklyn Lawmakers have been highly critical of the board for their releases of convicted cop killers Herman Bell, John Ruzaz and Robert Hayes. The three men were released earlier this year, respectively, after a decision from the parole board. Governor Cuomo’s appointees form the overwhelming majority of current Parole Board members who are making these decisions, according to the lawmakers.
Police killers convicted before a 2005 legislation made it a requirement for individuals to receive a life sentence without the possibility for parole, are coming up for release.
Additionally, this past Monday, the State Senate held a public hearing concerning increased & more stringent review of parole and conditional pardons, at which PBA President Pat Lynch submitted powerful testimony.
The event is slated for 1:30 p.m., today, Oct. 3, at 8213 3rd Avenue, in Bay Ridge.
New York Lawmakers Urge Congress To Stand Up For 9/11 Heroes
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), U.S. Representative Carolyn B. Maloney (D-Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn), U.S. Representative Jerrold Nadler (D-Western Brooklyn, Western Manhattan) and U.S. Representative Peter T. King (NY-2) announced yesterday that the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) could run out of funding before its expiration date in 2020.
The coalition of New York federal lawmakers is urging their colleagues to permanently reauthorize and fully fund the VCF.
The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (“VCF”) was created to provide compensation for any individual (or a personal representative of a deceased individual) who suffered physical harm or was killed as a result of the terrorist-related aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001 or the debris removal efforts that took place in the immediate aftermath of those crashes.
According to the group the cancer rates among 9/11 responders is continuing to rise as more and more health complications become prevalent among surviving emergency responders.
“When we were attacked on 9/11, thousands of firefighters, police officers, federal and local law enforcement officers, medical workers, construction workers, and other heroes selflessly rushed to Ground Zero to help. They spent months digging through the pile, bravely searching for remains, and inhaling dangerous, toxic air the entire time they were there.
Now, right when scientists predicted it would happen, cancer rates in the 9/11 first responder community are rising to new heights and the scourge of cancer continues to ruin the lives of first responders and survivors, some of whom have been fighting these diseases for years, and others who are newly diagnosed every year.
It would send a cruel message that Congress is indifferent to our heroes’ suffering. Congress needs to fix this now before waiting until the last minute and putting our heroes through more suffering and anxiety over whether their federal government will stand with them in their time of need. Our 9/11 heroes answered the call when we were attacked, and now Congress needs to answer the call and stand up for them,” read the “Dear Colleague” letter.
