De Blasio Announces Accelerated Internet Plan to Help Hard-Hit Communities
Yesterday, Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) and the Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity announced a plan to accelerate broadband deployment in New York, focusing on the neighborhoods most impacted by COVID-19.
De Blasio will invest $157 million into the plan, most of which will be redirected from the NYPD budget. Ultimately, he hopes to facilitate universal access to broadband across the City.
“Our mission to deliver affordable, high-quality internet service has never felt more urgent,” said Mayor de Blasio. “COVID-19 has further exposed the inequalities in internet access while changing the way New Yorkers work, learn, and live. Accelerating universal broadband access will make our city healthier, safer, and more equal.”
Holyman Introduces Bill Offering Temporary Diploma Privilege to Law Students
State Senator Brad Hoylman (D) introduced legislation to temporarily change the system by which law students receive admission to practice law.
The bill would provide 2020 law school graduates with “diploma privilege”, enabling them to practice law without taking the bar exam. Hoylman’s concern is that taking the bar in-person may put students at risk for contracting COVID-19.
“As Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I’ve seen how COVID-19 has upended the legal profession,” Hoylman said in a tweet. “Public health always needs to come first. For graduates who are immunocompromised, an in-person exam could be deadly. For graduates who are low-income, working parents or simply can’t afford another few months of studying for the Bar, this bill will be a lifeline.”
Stringer Releases Recommendations to Safely Reopen Schools Amid Pandemic
Yesterday, City Comptroller Scott Stringer (D) released a set of recommendations for the Department of Education (DOE) to safely reopen schools this September.
The report focuses on the need to protect both students and faculty from the coronavirus. Among his recommendations are:
- Allowing school communities to appoint their own health safety director;
- Providing regularly updated information on viral transmission in school communities;
- and enforcing rigorous cleaning and sanitization protocols.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a huge toll on our students, parents, school staff, and education system,” said Stringer. “Since the shutdown of our schools back in March, students have had to adjust to the challenges of remote learning — while as parents we tried our best to give our kids the support they need to succeed in these unprecedented circumstances. It’s imperative that the DOE act with urgency to provide a strategic roadmap to reopen city schools.”
Read the full report here.
Brewer to Launch Free Book Distributions
Today, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer (D) and the New York Public Library (NYPL) will be launching an initiative to give away free books at public housing developments.
The program is part of the NYPL’s 2020 Summer Reading Program, which encourages children to read while on vacation. It will distribute books in both English and Spanish at ten different NYCHA locations this week and next.
The event will take place today at 12 p.m. at Washington Houses, 1955 Second Ave.
