Espaillat to Host Town Hall Meeting on Anti-Semitism
Representative Adriano Espaillat (D-Washington Heights, Sugar Hill) will be hosting a town hall meeting today on the recent spike of anti-Semitic attacks in New York.
The meeting comes on the heels of a string of anti-Semitic hate crimes taking place across the eight days of Hanukkah. Espaillat, along with several other electeds, will discuss how to address this troubling trend and stand in solidarity with their Jewish colleagues.
The event will take place today at 6:30 p.m. at the Mount Sinai Jewish Center, 135 Bennett Ave.
Niou to Host Three Kings Dinner and Toy Giveaway
Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou (D-Chinatown, Financial District) will be hosting a dinner and toy giveaway this Sunday to celebrate Three Kings Day.
Three Kings Day, also known as Epiphany, is a Christian holiday commemorating the visit of the Three Magi to the baby Jesus. Just as the Magi came to the manger bearing gifts, Niou, too, will arrive at the feast bearing gifts – namely, free toys for all of the attendees. (Toys will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis.)
The event will take place on Sunday, Jan. 5 from 5-8 p.m. at 197 East Broadway. To RSVP, call 212-312-1420.
Stringer Looks Back on the Year 2019
Last Tuesday, City Comptroller Scott Stringer (D) published an article on Medium providing a year-end retrospective of 2019.
In the article, he summarizes the defining issues that the City faced last year, and what his office did to address them. He begins with the rising cost of childcare among New Yorkers; in May of 2019, he introduced “NYC Under 3”, a plan to cut childcare costs for 70,000 New Yorkers and extend assistance to families making up to $100,000 annually. The article goes on to summarize what he did to strengthen tenant protections, facilitate transit equity and reform the criminal justice system, among other initiatives.
“I’m proud that my office works tirelessly every day to make New York more fair, more affordable, and a place with an ever widening circle of opportunity so all can climb the economic ladder,” reads the article. “This important work goes on in 2020.”
Read the full article here.
De La Rosa Writes Letter to Protest USCIS’s Proposed Fee Increase
Last week, Assemblymember Carmen De La Rosa (D-Upper Manhattan) sent a letter to U.S. Citizenship and Immigrant Services (USCIS), expressing her disapproval of their proposed increase in the naturalization application fee.
On Nov. 14, the USCIS published a proposed new rule that would raise the naturalization application fee by 83 percent, from $640 to $1,170. It would also eliminate fee waivers for the N-400 citizenship form.
“I represent a mostly immigrant community that has been built by individuals who believe in the U.S. Constitution and work daily to sustain their families,” reads the letter. “I can attest to their endless contributions to our local economy and to the vibrant fabric of our communities. This is the story of immigrants across the nation who contribute to the economy and our nation’s strength. These individuals came to work hard and become full participants in our democracy. Citizenship is the path for them to fulfill their vision to fully belong to the communities they have built by engaging in the electoral process.”
