civil rights

Bronx BP Vanessa Gibson Endorsed for Reelection by Several Bronx Democrats

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Several Bronx Democratic elected officials, including Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), State Sen. Nathalia Fernandez  (S.D. 34), Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (A.D. 81), and Council Member Eric Dinowitz (C.D. 11), gathered last month at a campaign event in Fordham Manor to endorse incumbent Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson for reelection in the upcoming Democratic primary on June 24.

Yonkers Attorney Charged with Threatening Westchester Judge Day before Minnesota Rep. Shot Dead

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace announced that a Yonkers man was arrested on Friday, June 13, and charged with aggravated harassment of a judge, a class E felony, for allegedly sending threatening communications to acting state Supreme Court Justice Susan M. Capeci. Threats against public and elected officials are not uncommon and can sometimes have deadly consequences. Across the country, the following day, a congresswoman in Minnesota was shot dead in her home along with her husband.

UPDATE Over 215 Groups Demand Reversal of HALT Law Suspension

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Over 215 organizations have sent a letter dated May 27 to Gov. Kathy Hochul and State Prison Commissioner Daniel F. Martuscello III, demanding State prisons immediately rescind what the organizations say is the “illegal” suspension of the HALT Solitary Confinement Law and instead fully implement the law.

UPDATE Espaillat, Velázquez Denied Access to Visit ICE Detention Facilities in Lower Manhattan

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Democratic congress members, Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Rep. Nydia Velázquez (NY-7), were refused entry to the 10th floor of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan on Sunday, June 8, when they attempted to conduct oversight of the facility amid allegations of “overcrowding, unbearable heat, and people being forced to sleep on bathroom floors.”

Bedford Park: Bronx Victory Memorial Marks 100 Years

By MIRIAM QUIÑONES & SÍLE MOLONEY
Bronx Community Board 7 (CB7) and community partners gathered on Sunday, May 18, in advance of Memorial Day, May 26, for an early centennial celebration of the Bronx Victory Memorial, located on Mosholu Parkway in Bedford Park. The memorial was first unveiled 100 years ago on Nov. 11, 1925.

NYC Commission to Strengthen Local Democracy Hosts Meeting in Bronx

By ARIEL PACHECO
The NYC Commission to Strengthen Local Democracy hosted a public hearing on Bronx land use issues at the Bronx Museum of the Arts on May 12. The Commission says its goal is to improve and restore public confidence in City government by enhancing accountability and transparency.