Rivera Calls for Governor Rosselló’s Resignation
City Council Member Carlina Rivera (D-East Village, Gramercy Park) tweeted yesterday calling for the resignation of Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló (PNP).
Rosselló came under fire after hundreds of his private messages with his colleagues were leaked to the public. The messages included calls for violence against political opponents, derogatory marks towards women, and homophobic comments.
“Multiple allegations of corruption, documented sexism, and a history of mismanagement in Puerto Rico after Maria have caused many there to declare the situation untenable,” Rivera said in a tweet. “The government on the island needs to act NOW to reestablish confidence, no matter the leaders left in the wake of change, and make Puerto Ricans feel that their elected leadership is on their side.”
Johnson Talks Blackout on Good Day NY
City Council Speaker Corey Johnson (D-Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen) appeared on Good Day NY on Tuesday to discuss last weekend’s citywide blackout.
Johnson’s main concern, he said, was the unreliability of Con Edison’s testimony. When asked about a power cable on 65th Street that caught fire earlier that day, the company insisted that the fire had nothing to do with the blackout. A day later, they admitted that the cable fire was, in fact, trigger the disaster.
“We really need to get to the bottom of this,” said Johnson. “We have a heat wave this week, and [the blackout] happened at a time when there wasn’t a lot of energy consumption happening in the city.”
Rosenthal Introduces Bill to Ban Chick-Hatching Projects
Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal (D-Upper West Side, Hell’s Kitchen) recently introduced legislation to the Assembly that would prohibit animal hatching projects in elementary schools.
The projects, designed to teach students about animal life cycles, often have fatal consequences for the hatchling involved. Hatchlings will commonly die during the incubation process, or die from poor treatment after birth.
“While schools believe the projects will help students learn about biology, what they actually get is a lesson in cruelty,” Rosenthal told Patch. “There are many more humane ways to teach young people about an animal’s lifecycle, and ones that don’t usually involve the animal’s death.”
Brewer Greenlights Grants for Composting Programs
Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer (D) announced yesterday that the City would be accepting applications for grants of up to $750 for composting programs.
Groups eligible for funding include community and civic associations, block associations, community gardens, friends of parks groups, tenant associations, nonprofits, educational institutions, hospitals, and private businesses. Grants can be used to purchase materials to start a composting program or to expand upon an existing program.
“Composting is an easy thing everyone can do to make their footprint on this planet a bit smaller,” said Brewer. “The progress made since this program launched almost a decade ago is inspiring, and I can’t wait to see how much further we can take it with this new grant opportunity.”
