Espaillat leads Effort to Eliminate Barriers to Federal Disaster Relief in Wake of Hurricane Ida

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), who represents parts of the Northwest Bronx and Northern Manhattan, and Grace Meng (NY-6) who represents parts of Queens, announced that they are leading an effort to eliminate barriers to federal disaster relief in the wake of Hurricane Ida. Espaillat and Meng took the lead in writing a letter, calling on U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Chairman Peter DeFazio, who chairs the congressional committee on transportation and infrastructure, to include Espaillat’s bill, H.R. 3037 – the Housing Survivors of Major Disasters Act of 2021 in upcoming emergency disaster supplemental funding. Espaillat said

By SÍLE MOLONEY

A number of Bronx and other elected officials were taken on a tour of Rikers Island on Monday, Sept. 13. Their aim was to highlight what they said are illegal and unsafe conditions at the jail. Among the group were State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi (S.D. 34), Congressman Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Assembly Member Kenny Burgos (A.D. 85), Assembly Member Amanda Septimo (A.D. 84), as well as public defenders and activists like Min. Dr. Victoria Phillips of the Jails Action Coalition. Ahead of the visit, Bowman said the group intended to call on City and State governments to use every tool

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Congress has passed four of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s seven proposed amendments to the U.S. Defense Budget Bill, which are aimed at protecting human rights. In mid-September, ahead of the vote on the The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the Bronx congresswoman who represents New York’s 14th congressional district, introduced seven amendments that collectively sought to end U.S. practices that, she said, have contributed to human rights abuses. “We must end the sale of weapons to countries that have violated human rights, and reorient our foreign policy to one of humanitarian, diplomatic, and economic engagement,” the congresswoman tweeted on Thursday,

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Bronx elected officials shared various messages to acknowledge the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur. According to the website, hebcal.com, this year, Yom Kippur began on Wednesday, 15 Sept. and ends at nightfall on Thursday, 16 Sept. Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the year for the Jewish community. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue services. Yom Kippur completes the annual period known in Judaism as the High Holy

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Troy Blackwell, an Afro-Latino voting rights activist and former District 15 City Council candidate, as reported, has founded “Ready for Change,” a political action committee dedicated to promoting youth voter education and supporting “forward-thinking Democrats” at the local and state level. According to Blackwell, Ready for Change aims to make democracy more representative by increasing voter participation among youth, especially youth of color. Blackwell will lead the PAC and oversee potential partnerships. Educational resources will be provided in English, Spanish, Arabic, and French to reach diverse voters, and the key issues the PAC will focus on include climate change,

By DAWN CLANCY

When Melania Brown, 33, heard that New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio had publicly vowed in June 2020 to end solitary confinement, Brown hoped she might finally make good on a promise she, herself, had made to her deceased sister. Brown’s younger sister, Layleen Polanco, 27, a transgender woman, died a preventable death following an epileptic seizure on June 7, 2019, while she was held in segregated confinement on Rikers Island. As reported last year, activists have long alleged that solitary confinement has killed and destroyed the lives of countless Black people and other People of Color, and

9/11 Memorial Events Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and the Supreme Court of Bronx County is hosting a 9/11 memorial service on Monday, 13th Sept. at noon, at Lou Gehrig Plaza. See attached flyer for more information. Partnerships for Parks announced that on Saturday, October 16th, nearly 1,000 volunteers will gather in parks across the city for Fall IMP-act Day, the group’s annual citywide park beautification day. For the 20th anniversary of 9/11, volunteers will begin planting 70,000 daffodil bulbs which will bloom in the spring of 2022, honoring the lives lost to the terrorist attacks through the Daffodil

By DAVID GREENE

This week, we asked readers their thoughts on U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to end America’s longest war in Afghanistan. “I think it’s about time they did this. I am so happy to hear that they’re doing this. They’ve been in Afghanistan for such a long time, I think it’s about time they do pull them out. No, it wasn’t done the right way. I don’t believe so, but few wars end peacefully. I don’t believe this world learned anything from the occupation. I think it’s gotten worse. We’ve gotten very stupid.” Kendall Levine, Hunts Point “It was a

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Congressman Jamaal Bowman (NY-16) and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer announced Thursday that the Senate unanimously passed a resolution designating Aug. 11, 2021 as “Hip Hop Celebration Day,” August 2021 as “Hip Hop Recognition Month,” and designating November 2021 as “Hip Hop History Month.” Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) joined Bowman as an original co-sponsor of the resolution in Congress. According to the congressman’s office, Hip Hop, now a world-wide phenomenon, had humble beginnings in New York City. On Aug. 11, 1973, at a “Back-to-School-Jam,” held in the recreation room of 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Morris Heights section of

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Politics

Espaillat leads Effort to Eliminate Barriers to Federal Disaster Relief in Wake of Hurricane Ida

UPDATE: De Blasio Signs “Rikers Relief Plan,” Hochul Announces Release of 191 Inmates & Transfer of 200 to State Facilities

UPDATE: Congress Passes 4 of AOC’s 7 Amendments to Defense Budget Bill, to Protect Human Rights

Bronx Elected Officials Share Messages of Goodwill on Jewish Holy Day

Former District 15 City Council Candidate, Troy Blackwell, Forms “Ready for Change” PAC

UPDATE: Bronx Legislators, Activists Call Out City Plan to End “Solitary Confinement”

UPDATE Neighborhood Notes on 9/11 Commemoration, Back-to-School Events, Help with Flooding & More

Inquiring Photographer: Thoughts on President Biden’s Decision to End the War in Afghanistan

Congress Designates August 11 “Hip Hop Celebration Day”