Good Morning, Brooklyn: Friday, February 11, 2022

February 11, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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NICK PERRY INTRODUCED TO SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE: United States Senate Majority Leader, Charles “Chuck” Schumer earlier this week introduced Jamaican-born and Brooklyn Assemblymember Nick Perry to the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee as nominee for US Ambassador to Jamaica. Nick Perry, who currently represents the 58th Assembly District in Brooklyn, would be the first ever Jamaican-born person to serve as its American Ambassador.

Commending his nominee, Schumer said, “He has a knack for doing politics the old-fashioned way: shaking hands, showing up at every event, and just listening to people from everyday life. Nick is an immigrant, he is a veteran, and a lifelong public servant, and he represents the best of what America is all about.

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SENATE PASSES KEY BILL FOR SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT AND HARASSMENT: U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on Thursday announced the Senate passage of the bipartisan Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act, legislation that will bar perpetrators from being able to push survivors of sexual harassment and sexual assault into the secretive, biased process of forced arbitration. The legislation would invalidate existing forced arbitration clauses that prevent sexual assault and sexual harassment survivors from seeking justice and public accountability under the laws meant to protect them.

Senator Gillibrand first introduced the bill in 2017 and reintroduced it last year alongside her Senate co-lead, Senator Lindsey Graham.

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NEW BILL WOULD HELP SURVIVORS IN CIVIL COURT TRIALS: On a more local level, State Senator Andrew Gounardes (D-22^nd District) introduced a new to bill to combat sexual harassment by making it easier for survivors to share their experiences in civil court cases. The ‘Don’t Silence Survivors’ Act would allow survivors bringing cases of sexual harassment to offer into evidence any reporting of the alleged incident/s made soon after it occurred, putting puts criminal and civil trials on the same level, thus granting survivors the full opportunity to pursue justice and recompense.

In criminal trials, survivors of assault who have disclosed their experiences to loved ones, treatment providers, colleagues, or other parties can use these disclosures as evidence. However, disclosures of this kind when it comes to sexual harassment are not admissible in a civil trial.

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FEDERAL JUDGE STRIKES DOWN PASSPORT RULE FOR CERTAIN VISA APPLICANTS: U.S. Rep. Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), and colleagues in New York’s Congressional delegation praised the recent federal court ruling striking down a restrictive mandate that required applicants to obtain passports before they could enter a lottery to apply for the Diversity Visa Program. U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly, a Trump appointee who had previously ruled against those fighting the Passport Rule, last week found the regulations were enacted unlawfully because they skipped the public comment period required by the Administrative Procedure Act, a federal law that tripped up other Trump administration rulemaking efforts.

The Trump Administration made many unsuccessful attempts to terminate the Diversity Visa Program, which the State Department had established to grant visas to countries with low immigration rates to the United States, although it did enact more restrictions and hurdles for applicants, particularly those from developing countries, through the Passport Rule.

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KEY ENDORSEMENT FOR MAX ROSE: The New York State Court Officers Association (NYSCOA) has endorsed former U.S. Rep Max Rose for Congress as he campaigns to regain his 11^th District seat. “I am here today endorsing Max Rose for Congress because he has always been there, without fail or question, for my members,” stated NYSCOA President Dennis Quirk. “Whether it was getting PPE(Personal Protective Equipment) to help open up the courts during the early days of COVID or supporting our members, he was always a phone call away.”

Mr. Quirk added, “Max has served this country both in Afghanistan and in Congress, and he has always shown the courageous leadership necessary to get results for our district.”

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BEWARE ONLINE SUPERBOWL BETTING SCAMS: New York Attorney General Letitia James has issued a consumer alert urging New Yorkers to be aware of deceptive online sports betting companies during the Super Bowl, which will be the first major sports event allowing New Yorkers to place bets online. Since online sports gambling became legal in New York last month, there have been reports of New Yorkers being bombarded with misleading ads on social media and streaming sites that claim “risk-free” bets and “$1,000 welcome offers,” which sound like free money, but often come with strings attached without consumers’ awareness.

Attorney General James recommends reading consumer reviews on sites like the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Trust Pilot, to avoid reviews from sites that may be connected to the sports betting industry, and to read the fine print on bonuses and other promotion, among other precautions.