Good Morning, Brooklyn: Wednesday, March 9, 2022

March 9, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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HELP FOR THOSE BEHIND ON RENT PAYMENTS: Catholic Charities Neighborhood Services, Inc., the social services arm of Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens, was recently awarded a $250,000 “Housing for Everyone” grant from the TD Charitable Foundation. The grant will support the expansion and enhancement of holistic care and wraparound services provided to seniors living within the Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens network of affordable housing, with grant funds earmarked to offset rental arrears for clients who have fallen behind on their rent due to the pandemic. Benefits coordinators will assist tenants with issues related to entitlements, benefits, social determinants of health and quality of life issues.

Catholic Charities Neighborhood Services, Inc. is one of 33 organizations selected from more than 357 applicants to receive a Housing for Everyone grant as part of the TD Charitable Foundation’s annual grant program helping to provide affordable housing since 2005.

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ACADEMIC GRANTS FOR SECOND-CHANCE YOUTH: The St. Francis College Justice Initiative has launched a partnership with Guns for Grants to promote educational opportunities and community safety. “Guns for Grants is an Educational Opportunity Program that focuses on redirecting at-risk youth and young adults away from gun violence and into positive learning environments for personal and professional growth, enriching their quality of life,” according to the organization’s website. With St. Francis College’s involvement, participants will now have the opportunity to obtain a college degree through the St. Francis College (SFC) Justice Initiative.

SFC’s Justice Initiative, rooted in the Franciscan values of forgiveness, second chances and building a better world, has since 2014 focused on helping individuals earn college degrees during the re-entry process through academic grants, intensive faculty mentorship, tutoring and social opportunities to foster community, build networks and promote academic success.

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BAN ON RUSSIAN OIL AND GAS IMPORTS: President Joe Biden yesterday signed an executive order to ban the import of Russian oil, liquefied natural gas and coal to the United States – a significant action with widespread bipartisan support and aimed at further depriving Russian President Vladimir Putin of the economic resources he uses to continue his war. The executive order bans the importation into the United States of Russian crude oil and certain petroleum products, liquefied natural gas and coal, and new U.S. investment in Russia’s energy sector, to ensure that American companies and American investors are not underwriting Putin’s efforts to expand energy production inside Russia.

Americans will also be prohibited from financing or enabling foreign companies that are making investments to produce energy in Russia.

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ATTORNEY GENERAL: PRICE GOUGING IS ILLEGAL: New York Attorney General Letitia James, in response to President Biden’s ban on imports of Russian energy resources, natural gas and coal, immediately warned oil companies and gas stations that price gouging is illegal. New York law prohibits sellers of fuel and other vital and necessary goods from charging unconscionably excessive prices during an abnormal market disruption, including disruptions caused by world conflicts.

The OAG reminded New Yorkers to be on alert for potential price gouging of fuel. As of press time on Tuesday, gas stations in Brooklyn were charging in the range of $4.30 to $4.80 per gallon.

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ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE RUSSIAN OIL BAN: Also addressing the ban on oil, coal, and natural gas is U.S. Rep House Transportation Committee Member Nicole Malliotakis, but with a different perspective. Worried about the financial impact for Americans, Rep. Malliotakis (R-11^th District) was set on Tuesday to hold a discussion via Zoom with magnate John Catsimatidis, chairman/CEO of United Refining Company and owner of over 400 tri-State gas stations.

Catsimatidis planned to discuss the financial impact of price spikes in gasoline and oil and how Congress will address the shortcomings in the oil market left by the ban on Russian imports.

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NATIONWIDE SEARCH ON FOR NYC CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER: New York City Comptroller Brad Lander has launched a nationwide search to hire a new Chief Investment Officer (CIO) for the New York City Retirement System (NYCRS). For the first time, the comptroller’s search will be a collaborative effort with independent investment experts and the retirement system’s trustees

The Chief Investment Officer is responsible for overseeing the Bureau of Asset Management (BAM), which manages New York City’s $274 billion pension portfolio and spearheads the comptroller’s responsibilities as investment advisor to the five New York City Retirement Systems. The CIO will be tasked with leading the office’s work to maximize risk-adjusted market returns through responsible fiduciary investing.

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THE PETE HAMILL PAPERS AT CENTER FOR BROOKLYN HISTORY: The Pete Hamill Papers at the Center for Brooklyn History will be explored at a special Zoom program later this month to celebrate the life and career of the Brooklyn-born journalist (1935-2020), who was hailed as the “living embodiment of New York City.” His brother, journalist, novelist, screenwriter and TV writer Denis Hamill, will join longtime editor William Phillips, who edited the 2001 film Snow in August and Forever in 2015, to explore the archive’s handwritten notes, correspondence and storyboards on his novels and post-newspaper career. The virtual program on Thursday, March 31 at 6:30 p.m. is free but, registration is required: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/calendar/out-box-pete-hamills-virtual-20220331\

Denis Hamill is currently an executive story editor and staff writer for “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.”

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BIPARTISAN POSTAL REFORM ACT PASSES SENATE: The U.S. Senate yesterday passed the historic Postal Service Reform Act in a bipartisan vote of 79-19. The legislation’s provisions include Medicare integration, repealing a requirement for the Postal Service to pre-fund retiree health benefits, increased transparency of delivery service, reporting on Postal Service operations and finances, a requirement that the Postal Service deliver mail six days per week, and other matters. Last month, the U.S. House of Representatives had passed the bill in a bipartisan vote of 342-92.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-12^th District), chair of the Committee on Oversight and Reform and the bill’s main sponsor, said, “The Postal Service Reform Act now goes to the President’s desk for signature. The bill’s historic bipartisan votes in both the House and the Senate are proof that preserving and strengthening the Postal Service transcends political parties.”

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CELEBRITY JUNIOR CHEFS HELP FEED KIDS IN NEED: Today, City Harvest, New York City’s largest food rescue organization, partners with Brighter Bites to distribute grocery bags filled with fresh fruit and vegetables. In addition, the organizations will deliver 230 donated party boxes to Brooklyn elementary students at PS 151K, 763 Knickerbocker Ave., to enable the kids to participate in the organization’s Virtual Winter Family Carnival 2022, Around the World, which is hosted by City Harvest’s Junior Food Council of teen celebrity chefs.

Grocery bags are distributed weekly to families at 10 NYC schools as part of a longstanding partnership between City Harvest and Brighter Bites, a nonprofit organization that creates communities of health through fresh fruits, vegetables, and nutrition education resources directly into families’ hands.

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COVER ALL PREVENTATIVE COLON SCREENINGS: Health insurance plans should be required to cover the entire costs of colorectal cancer screening beginning at age 45 and eliminate all patient cost-sharing for a follow-up colonoscopy, asserts a coalition of more than 65 patient and provider groups, cancer centers, and other public health organizations that delivered a letter to New York State’s legislative leaders to support such legislation. The American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network (ACS-CAN) is calling on state leaders to include S906-B sponsored by Senators Sanders and Kennedy and A2085-A sponsored by Assemblymember Dinowitz — the Colorectal Cancer Screening Cost Sharing Removal Act, in the final state budget.

The coalition is urging state legislature to consider follow-up colonoscopies as the next step in the preventive screening process, which should also be covered by health insurers with no patient out-of-pocket cost.

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CORRECTION: The credit was missing from a front-page photo in yesterday’s “Good Morning, Brooklyn” section. The photo of Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Raymond Chappetto is courtesy of DeSales Media, the communications outreach arm of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn. The Eagle regrets the omission.