What’s News Breaking: Friday, July 30, 2021

July 30, 2021 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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ENVIRONMENTALLY-SAFER MOSQUITO SPRAYING: Marshes and wetland areas of Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island will undergo the third aerial larviciding treatment of the season to reduce mosquito activity and the risk of West Nile virus. The city’s Health Department will spray in non-residential areas only on Monday, August 2 to Wednesday, August 4, between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m., weather permitting. The rain dates are Thursday, August 5 to Friday, August 6 during the same hours.

The Health Department sprays with environmentally friendly larvicides to kill young mosquitoes before they grow into adults, using VectoBac® GS, containing naturally occurring bacteria. This treatment has been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

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NEW STREAMLINED LOAN PORTAL: Small businesses will soon be able to avail themselves of a streamlined Paycheck Protection Program forgiveness application portal through the U.S. Small Business Administration. This portal will allow borrowers with PPP loans of $150,000 or less to apply for forgiveness directly through the SBA. On August 4, the portal will begin accepting applications on Wednesday, August 4, from borrowers who have a PPP loan with a lender that has opted into the forgiveness portal.

Second Draw PPP loans can be used to help fund payroll costs, including benefits, and for mortgage interest, rent, utilities, worker protection costs related to COVID-19, uninsured property damage costs caused by looting or vandalism during 2020, and certain supplier costs and expenses for operations.

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ARCHITECTURAL MAGAZINE DESCRIBES WORK OF NYU-TANDON PROFESSOR: Glass sponges could influence future design of buildings, according to research being done by an engineering team that includes Dr. Maurizio Porfiri, Institute Professor at the Tandon School of Engineering-New York University in MetroTech. An article published Wednesday in Architecture & Design magazine describes a research collaboration across three continents that aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the deep-sea sponge’s interactions with the water around it. The research has revealed key findings that could guide the future design of buildings, bridges, marine vehicles and aircraft.

The research could lead to advanced designs for anything that must respond safely to forces imposed by the flow of air or water such as skyscrapers, airplanes and ships.

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FREE CONCERTS AT KENT 25: A partnership between Williamsburg’s 25 Kent and the Brooklyn Music School, two Brooklyn-based entities, professional faculty and students will present free performances, featuring a wide array of musical genres, on two Tuesdays during August. The concerts, on August 10 and 24, both at 8 p.m., take place at 25 Kent’s expansive outdoor plaza.

A Brooklyn Music School faculty jazz ensemble, student rock and jazz ensemble, African drumming and dance, as well as a special solo singer-songwriter set, will be part of the August 10 program.

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CONGRESSIONAL EARMARKS TO BENEFIT BROOKLYN: Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) has secured earmarks to fund community projects in New York’s 7th Congressional District. These earmarks, which have passed the House as a part of H.R. 4502, would benefit several local initiatives in Brooklyn. One of these is Red Hook Community Youth Education Initiative (Pioneer Works), whose funds would combine the efforts of several nonprofits under one umbrella to provide educational opportunities for youth across Southwest Brooklyn.

Another Brooklyn program that would receive the funding is UPROSE/Sunset Park Regenerative Economies Industrial Ecosystem Development Initiative, a longtime partner in the fight against climate change. Under the provided proposal, UPROSE would receive an investment of $175,000 to create a workforce development program for climate adaptation manufacturing.

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AGREEMENT TO REDUCE IMPORTED SMOG: An agreement among the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and five states would commit the federal government to addressing pollution that blows into New York from other regions. New York Attorney General Letitia James led a coalition of the states and the City of New York in the agreement which, if approved by the court, would also resolve a lawsuit that she and the coalition brought against the Trump Administration’s EPA in January 2021 over its failure to fulfill its legal responsibility under the Clean Air Act.

As part of the agreement, the EPA must take final action on “good neighbor” plans from six states to limit downwind spread of smog-forming emissions.

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LOCAL LEADER BRIAN FOX CITES NEED FOR POLICE: Showing support for an elderly woman who was robbed at gunpoint in Bensonhurst during broad daylight, businessman and City Council candidate Brian Fox met Brooklyn neighbors, retired New York City Police Officers, and members of the New York City Detectives Endowment Association Thursday at the crime scene. Saying “enough is enough,” candidate Fox, detectives, and retired officers rebuked New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Councilmember Justin Brannan (D-43rd) for actions they allege defunded the New York City Police Department.

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LEGISLATION FOR MATERNAL HEALTH: Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams was set to introduce a package of legislation on Thursday, aimed at supporting maternal health and wellness and particularly targeted at reducing Black maternal mortality and pervasive maternal health disparities. This legislation includes measures for both during and post-pregnancy, and is a model for ways in which local legislatures can combat maternal mortalities and maternal health inequities and injustices.

The package also incorporates a resolution calling for further federal action and funding.