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Good Morning, Brooklyn: Monday, April 4, 2022

April 4, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle Staff
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ALLEGING AMAZON’S UNSAFE LABOR PRACTICES: Following the deaths of six Amazon workers onsite during a tornado outbreak, Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-12/Northern Brooklyn), chair of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and Committee Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-14/Queens and Bronx), and Rep. Cori Bush (D-Missouri) sent a letter to Andy Jassy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Amazon.com, seeking documents regarding Amazon’s labor practices, especially during severe weather events.  On December 10-11, six Amazon workers at the online merchandising giant, Edwardsville, IL warehouse were killed when a tornado outbreak struck. Allegations surfaced that Amazon employees and contractors were threatened by their supervisors with termination or other adverse employment consequences if they left work to seek adequate shelter and safety as the tornadoes approached.

The Committee is seeking, by April 14, 2022, documents and communications about the tragedy at Amazon’s Edwardsville facility, Amazon’s workplace policies and practices that may have prevented workers from staying safe, and Amazon’s actions in responding to other severe weather events and natural disasters.

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1950 CENSUS RECORDS RELEASED TO PUBLIC: Richie Havens, a Brooklyn native who became the opening act of the 1969 Woodstock Festival, was one of several famous (and now deceased) Americans featured in the newly-released 1950 U.S. Census, in accordance with “72-Year Rule” (92 Stat. 915; Public Law 95-416; October 5, 1978) on the grounds that this period of time is the lifespan for most Americans). The year 2022 marks 72 years since the 1950 Census data was collected, with most of the famous people featured in the Census website’s story still children at the time.

Richard Pierce Havens was born January 21, 1941, in Brooklyn, New York, which in 1950 had a population of 2,738,175. He was of Native American (Blackfoot) and British West Indies descent. He found his niche in a combination of folk, soul and rhythm and blues music, and continued playing almost until his death April 22, 2013.

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NEW FAIR-LENDING LEGISLATION: Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-7h District/Western Brooklyn) introduced H.R. 7351, the Promoting Fair Lending to Small Businesses Act, which would amend the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010 to require that non-bank lenders be covered by the rules implemented under Section 1071. This bill will allow the Consumer Financial Bureau to broaden these reporting and examination requirements to non-bank lenders such as the growing fintech sector.

“This bill will play an important role in applying the same standards for all lenders who make loans for small businesses, and especially those that have been historically underserved by lenders such as minority- and women-owned businesses,” said Velázquez.

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ADAMS SEEKS COVID EMERGENCY FUNDING: New York City Mayor Adams and city health leaders today called on all members of Congress to appropriate more than $15 billion in emergency funding for COVID-19, after meeting the New York City congressional delegation last week and urging them to push for immediate passage of the COVID-19 aid package. The mayor has directed the NYC Test & Trace Corps to provide an additional 6.3 million free at-home tests in April to over 2,500 community organizations, libraries, cultural institutions, houses of worship, and elected offices across the city.

Adams pointed out that the delay in the aid package’s passage would adversely impact the federal supply of vaccines and treatments; eliminate federal reimbursement to private providers for vaccination, testing, and outpatient treatment provided to uninsured people; reduce immediate access to services for testing, treatment, and vaccination, which could lead to delays in testing and care; and put the country at risk of losing its ability to develop and distribute vaccines for new variants in the future.

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CULINARY TRAINING PROGRAM FOR YOUTH: A culinary training program for youth is the latest innovative project of The Campaign Against Hunger. The non-profit organization is seeking 20 young people to be a part of its four-month PAID Culinary Arts training program that will give youths ages 18-24 to receive hands-on training in the culinary industry, with a stipend of $15/hour.  For more information contact: Howard Brown Youth Empowerment Department Manager, at [email protected], 718-773-3551 x 116.

Participants will work under culinary experts and other professionals, in the field, learning meal preparation and presentation, restaurant serving etiquette, and methods for making various cuisine. At the end of the program, participants will also receive a server’s certification.

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MUSIC FESTIVAL THROUGHOUT PARK SLOPE: The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music’s (BKCM) free spring music festival is ready to rock the neighborhood next month, following its successful 2021 debut. Saturday, May 21, from 3 to 7 p.m., Open Stages 2022 will bring people together and spread good energy throughout Park Slope in a celebration of community, culture and Brooklyn’s vibrant music scene, with stoops, school lots, parks, gardens and sidewalks turning into impromptu stages for more than 150 musicians throughout the day.

Musicians from BKCM’s ensembles and students from the organization’s Suzuki, Music Partners and Music Therapy programs will also be performing.

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