What’s News, Breaking: Monday, July 31, 2023

July 31, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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‘BLOODY’ SCOOTER CRASH ON MANHATTAN BRIDGE

DUMBO — FOUR ELECTRIC BIKES OR MOPEDS WERE INVOLVED IN A HIGH-SPEED crash on the bike lane of the Manhattan Bridge on Saturday, reports Gothamist, leaving vehicle parts and blood scattered across the walkway in what onlookers described as a distressing scene. The riders were transported to hospitals with serious injuries, according to Streetsblog. Two Reddit users who happened across the scene posted images of the debris and aftermath and criticized the lax enforcement of the city’s ban on electric bikes on bridges, with one, ER nurse Lucas Freshman, describing the accident as “inevitable.”

The NYPD, when contacted by Gothamist, stated that it had no knowledge of the scooter accident. Brownstone Brooklyn Councilmember Lincoln Restler blamed the Adams Administration’s lack of e-bike infrastructure support, saying that the city should help delivery workers fight against unsafe practices — although it was not clear if any of the riders involved in the crash were working for delivery services.

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CASES OF MEAT ALLERGY CAUSED BY TICK BITES RISE IN NYC AREA

CITYWIDE — THE CDC WARNED LAST WEEK THAT cases of a rare allergy to red meat spread by tick bites are on the rise in the NYC area, reports Patch. It urged outdoorsy types to take precautions against the insects while in wooded areas. As many as 450,000 cases of this allergy are thought to be present nationwide, with Suffolk County representing 4% of all reported cases in a recent study. The allergy, known as alpha-gal syndrome, is caused by the immune response to a sugar that is present in tick saliva, but it also occurs in red meat and other mammal products, such as milk and gelatin. Symptoms include rashes, stomach problems, facial swelling and difficulty breathing, among other issues.

The CDC urged anyone who believes they may be experiencing allergy symptoms to visit a doctor and offered strategies for avoiding tick bites on its website. When hiking or visiting green spaces, avoid tall grasses and bushes, wear long sleeves and pants that cover the skin, use insect repellent liberally and shower and check your body for ticks after returning home.

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OFFICE OF COURT ADMIN RELOCATING TO NEW ALBEE TOWER

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — THE STATE OFFICE OF COURT ADMINISTRATION INKED A 21- YEAR CONTRACT last week on an office space in the new One Willoughby Square office tower at Albee Square, reports the Commercial Observer. It agreed to take over the entire 10th and 11th floors for a total of 27,304 square feet. The OCA, which handles the administrative operations of the state courts, will move from a nearby space on Livingston Street after its new offices are renovated and outfitted, according to a spokesperson for the court system.

The initial yearly rent on the space was reported in the City Record to be $1,365,200, with periodic increases staggered throughout the rest of the term. Some renovation costs are also set to be borne by the developer.

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CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS ON NEW VINEGAR HILL APT BUILDINGS

VINEGAR HILL — CONSTRUCTION WORK ON TWO NEW VINEGAR HILL apartment buildings has been rapid, according to an update from NY YIMBY, which reports that four out of seven stories on one building have been erected since the laying of foundations in June, with the other building’s second story currently under construction. Once completed, the Front Street complex will offer 216 housing units, 66 of which are designated affordable, along with retail and community spaces.

NY YIMBY estimates that the buildings might top out by the end of the year. The scheduled completion date for the project is December 2024.

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DANCER FATALLY STABBED IN GAS STATION FIGHT

MIDWOOD — A BROOKLYN MAN SLAIN IN A SHOCKING FIGHT at a Midwood gas station on Saturday night was a talented dancer and dedicated activist who used his art to project his queer identity, according to the Daily News. Colleagues described his life as one cut tragically short. Police say that O’Shea Sibley, 28, is thought to have been fatally stabbed by a 17-year-old suspect – reportedly a known troublemaker — in a fight with a group of men that may have begun over a claim that Sibley’s dancing offended their Muslim faith.

ABC News reports that police are investigating the incident as a hate crime. No arrests have yet been made.

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NEW GEORGIAN RESTAURANT OPENING IN HEIGHTS

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — THE NEW RESTAURANT CHAMA MAMA, WHICH OFFERS CUISINE FROM THE COUNTRY OF Georgia, held its soft opening last Wednesday. According to Mary Kim at the Brooklyn Heights Blog, it attracted a full house of hungry customers to sample its Caucasian dishes. The restaurant officially opens this week — Kim recommends diners try the khachapuri cheese bread, the appetizers and the fresh salads.

Chama Mama is located at 121 Montague St. and serves lunch, dinner and brunch on weekends.

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LAMBDA LITERARY RECEIVES GRANT
AND SCHOLARSHIP AWARD

BOROUGHWIDE — LAMBDA LITERARY IN BROOKLYN, which for more than 30 years has championed LGBTQ books and authors, will receive nearly $1 million in grant and sponsorship funding this year. The Amazon Literary Partnership and grant funds are supporting the Foundation’s Emerging Writers Retreat, the premier writers’ residency program for LGBTQ writers. The five-day retreat, running through August 5, hosts 96 fellows, many of whom participate in Lambda’s Writers in Schools, a program that supports inclusive curriculum in K-12 classrooms.

The Amazon Literary Partnership, with a mission of making a permanent impact on the literary community, has since 2009 awarded grants totaling $16 million to more than 160 organizations. The grants have assisted tens of thousands of writers in telling their stories, amplifying their work, and finding their audiences.

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HEALTH-BASED FOUNDATION OPENS NEW FUND
TO HELP UNDERINSURED DIABETES PATIENTS

NATIONWIDE — AIMING TO ELIMINATE THE COVERAGE GAP FOR UNDERINSURED PATIENTS, the HealthWell Foundation® has opened a new fund to provide financial assistance to individuals living with Type 2 diabetes. As an independent nonprofit that provides a financial lifeline for inadequately insured Americans, HealthWell will provide up to $1,000 in medication copayment assistance for the management of their disease, to eligible patients with annual household incomes up to 300% of the federal poverty level. Interested persons can visit HealthWell’s Type 2 Diabetes Fund page to determine eligibility. But those wishing to apply for a grant through the Type 2 Diabetes Fund, need to call 800-675-8416 Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time as online applications are not available.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and develops when the cells in the body do not respond well to, or make enough insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas.

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GUN-VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAMS RECEIVE
FINANCIAL BOOST FROM GOVERNOR

STATEWIDE — GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL ANNOUNCED on Monday, July 31, the allocation of $30 million to support New York City’s fight against gun violence. This funding, which includes $6 million for the New York City Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Blueprint for Community Safety, will enable the city to hire additional public safety personnel and deploy more resources to support the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force.

The city’s Summer Youth Employment Program will also receive $24 million from the Fiscal Year 2024 Budget to support and expand it to being year-round, Governor Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams announced on Monday.

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COURT ORDER REQUIRES CITY TO ELIMINATE BACKLOG
IN FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

CITYWIDE — A PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION ORDER IN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT against the City of New York will mandate an end to all delays involving SNAP and Cash Assistance that have prevented low-income New Yorkers from being able to afford food, and caused other hardships. The Legal Aid Society, New York Legal Assistance Group, and Dechert LLP have secured the Preliminary Injunction Order in Forest et al v. the City of New York et al – a class action lawsuit brought against the city for failing to process applications and recertifications for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and cash assistance within the 30-day timeframe required by federal and state law.

The court order also includes a series of benchmarks and monitoring requirements that will be used to ensure that the city comes into full compliance, including a July 31, 2023 deadline to reduce the number of overdue SNAP applications and recertifications.

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OPEN HOUSE GIVES RESOURCES FOR PAID CARE WORKERS

CITYWIDE — THE DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AND WORKER PROTECTION HOSTED AN OPEN HOUSE at the Brooklyn Public Library on Saturday, July 29, to help paid care workers understand their rights and the resources available to them. One such highlighted program is the city’s Domestic Worker Mediation Program, which helps domestic workers and their employers resolve workplace issues outside of court, in a no-cost, respectful and confidential way. Other partner organizations at the Open House were the Carroll Gardens Association, the New York City Commission on Human Rights, Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and the National Domestic Workers Alliance.

The Department’s research has found that more than half of the city’s paid care workforce — the majority of whom are immigrants and women of color — have experienced wage theft, safe and sick leave violations, harassment, discrimination, and fear of retaliation from their employers if they report illegal behavior.

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NEW STUDY: RESPONSES FROM CHATBOT, HUMAN PHYSICIANS
ARE ‘NEARLY INDISTINGUISHABLE’

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — CHATGPT’S RESPONSES TO HEALTH CARE-RELATED QUERIES were nearly indistinguishable from those provided by human clinicians, researchers from New York University’s (NYU) Grossman School of Medicine and Tandon School of Engineering have demonstrated. Their study, which was published during July in the Journal of Medical Internet Research JMIR Medical Education, and in Health IT Analytics, observed that AI-powered chatbots are currently being piloted to help draft responses to patients’ queries. The research team conducted a United States-based survey of 392 adults recruited from Prolific, a crowdsourcing platform for academic studies. Each participant was presented with ten non-administrative patient questions which were then answered by either a provider or the chatbot.

The research team noted also that, while the chatbot and human provider responses were almost indistinguishable, the trust that patients’ place in AI technology has not been established.

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NYU TANDON’S ARISE STEM PROGRAM OFFERS
SCHOLARSHIPS AND STIPENDS TO TALENTED HIGH SCHOOLERS

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — NYU TANDON’S CENTER FOR K-12 STEM EDUCATION, which offers students hands-on training, mentoring, and experience in STEM fields, has 65 NYC high schoolers participating in its free summer ARISE (Applied Research Innovations in Science and Engineering), program, which offers both a stipend and full scholarship to the students. ARISE, which runs for seven weeks, gives hands-on training, mentoring, and experience to well-rounded high school juniors and seniors who have demonstrated an interest in science but who have lacked access to programs to help them realize their goals, according to both NYU Tandon and Chalkbeat, which published a feature on them earlier this month.

One of three free high school summer programs at NYU Tandon’s Center for K-12 STEM Education, ARISE focuses on groups underrepresented in STEM fields such as students of color, girls, and those from low-income backgrounds, and is the only one of these programs also offering a stipend.

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NY ATTORNEY GENERAL: LOUISIANA FEDERAL COURT’S BAN
HARMS PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN FED, SOCIAL MEDIA

NATIONWIDE — ATTORNEY GENERAL LETITIA JAMES IS LEADING a multi-state coalition to defend the federal government’s ability to communicate with social media companies about dangerous online content. The coalition opposes a decision by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana handed down in July that prohibits dozens of federal officials and agencies from communicating with social media companies about harmful online content, including financial scams, misinformation meant to undermine elections, and harassment. Attorney General James and the coalition note in the amicus brief that the lower court’s order blocks an important tool that federal leaders have to share information and policy views on how social media platforms can keep Americans safe online, potentially undoing years of mutually beneficial dialogue.

The coalition’s brief highlights examples of productive communication with social media platforms, Attorney General James’ ongoing work to identify and report social media content from the Buffalo mass shooting and teaming with Amazon to stop sellers from price gouging supplies the COVID emergency.

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NATIONWIDE —Trader Joe’s customers will want to return or toss certain items after the California-based supermarket company issued three recalls in the past week over “potential foreign material” — including rocks and insects — in some of the grocer’s cookies, falafel and soup. Rocks were reportedly found in some of Trader Joe’s store-brand cookies and Trader Joe’s Fully Cooked Falafel, and insects were found in the soups. Among the affected products are Trader Joe’s Unexpected Broccoli Cheddar Soup (use-by dates of July 18-Sept. 15, 2023), which contain insects; Trader Joe’s Almond Windmill Cookies (sell-by date of Oct. 2), which was named as an update to a recall announced last week of Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Chunk and Almond Cookies (sell-by dates ranging from Oct. 17-21). The recall on the falafel was posted last Friday, July 29.

Trader Joe’s, which operates a store at Court St. and Atlantic Ave. in Cobble Hill, assures the public that all potentially affected products have been “removed from sale and destroyed.”

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BONANNO BOSS ‘MICHAEL THE NOSE’ HEADED BACK TO JAIL

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — THE ALLEGED BOSS OF THE BONANNO MAFIA FAMILY, Michael Mancuso, also known as “Michael the Nose,” was slapped with an 11-month prison term in Brooklyn federal court on Friday afternoon for violating the conditions of his supervised release, reports The Messenger, after authorities recorded a suspicious phone call with a known mafia associate in 2020 as part of a racketeering probe. Mancuso, who was released from prison on probation in 2019 after being convicted of conspiring in the murder of Randolph Pizzolo in 2004, had been ordered to not make contact with any other mafiosos, and in addition to the phone call was also recorded attending several birthday parties; he is now loose on $500,000 bail and has been ordered to turn himself into the Bureau of Prisons by September 6.

The suspicious phone call, with alleged Colombo mafia member Michael Uvino, was recorded on Sept. 1, 2020, according to The Messenger: “You gonna do the gravy today?” Mancuso asked; Uvino responded he’d “make the sauce in the morning.”

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MAN ATTEMPTS TO PUSH ANOTHER MAN OFF SUBWAY PLATFORM

WILLIAMSBURG — POLICE ARE SEARCHING FOR AN UNIDENTIFIED SUSPECT who, on the morning of Monday, July 24, attempted to forcibly shove a 14-year-old boy toward the open tracks of the Bedford Avenue L train station, after the boy had accidentally bumped into him. The suspect then fled in an unknown direction. Fortunately, the victim was able to grab onto the edge of the platform and did not make any contact with the roadway, third rail, or train, sustaining only minor injuries.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org.

The man suspected of shoving a teenager towards the Bedford Avenue train tracks. All calls are strictly confidential. Photo courtesy of NYPD

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WORKERS UNIONIZE AT CROWN HEIGHTS PIZZERIA

CROWN HEIGHTS — THE STAFF OF CROWN HEIGHTS PIZZERIA BARBONCINO on Wednesday officially voted to join the Workers United food service union, reports amNY, after organizing efforts began last summer following a sewage flood that left workers who walked off the job dissatisfied with the restaurant’s owners’ attitude towards employee safety and job security. The organizers of the new union, which will represent around 40 non-managerial workers, are now demanding wage and benefit increases, clearer rules and enforced safety policies, along with the right to have more input into scheduling; Barboncino’s owners, who took over in October of last year, told amNY that they are still deciding how to respond.

The Barboncino union is the first at any NYC pizza parlor, and is part of a new wave of unionization efforts aimed at restaurants and other service jobs with unsteady working conditions.

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SHEEPSHEAD BAY YOGA STUDIO ROBBED IN POTENTIAL HATE CRIME

SHEEPSHEAD BAY — THE NYPD’S HATE CRIMES TASK FORCE IS INVESTIGATING A BURGLARY that took place on the night of Tuesday, July 18, when an unknown individual gained access to the Yoga Hell yoga studio in Sheepshead Bay by sneaking in through an unlocked door after a patron exited. The suspect then damaged the facility, drew a swastika on the chalkboard, damaged religious items and removed prayer documents from the studio, before fleeing on foot on 17th Street toward Avenue Z. Surveillance photos released by the police show the suspect to have a fair complexion, a shaved head and a tattoo of a cross inside a circle on his forearm, along with multiple other tattoos.

The person suspected of vandalizing a yoga studio in a potential hate crime. All tips given to police are strictly confidential. Photos courtesy of NYPD

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MAYOR MEETS WITH HOMELAND SECURITY HEAD OVER MIGRANT CRISIS

WASHINGTON — MAYOR ADAMS TRAVELED TO WASHINGTON, D.C. on Wednesday to meet with New York’s congressional delegation and Dept. of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to discuss the federal response to NYC’s ongoing asylum-seeker immigration surge, according to a statement released by the mayor’s office. “Not only did we discuss the city’s federal funding needs, we also re-emphasized how crucial it is to expedite pathways to work authorization for those who are arriving and are already here,” wrote Mayor Adams in a press statement; the mayor also stated that Mayorkas had committed to visiting the city in person and to designating a member of DHS’ personnel to work with the city on coordinating future aid.

The mayor has repeatedly accused the federal government of not providing enough aid to meet the city’s needs in relation to the surge of migrants arriving from the southern border in recent months; nearly 100,000 asylum-seekers have traveled to NYC, many with the assistance of the governors of Republican-led border states.

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PUBLIC SCHOOL FAMILIES TO GET $120 FOR KIDS’ MEALS

CITYWIDE — ALL FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN IN NYC PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE SET TO RECEIVE $120 per child in funds intended to make up the costs of summer meals for kids, reports Chalkbeat, as part of a federal pandemic aid package; families with children in private, charter or other schools who get free meals may also be eligible for the benefit. Federal rules say that the funds must be sent out via EBT card by December 31, although the exact date of disbursement has not been specified; because NYC has universal free meals for schoolchildren, there are no income or immigration requirements to qualify — families who have lost their EBT cards can get replacements by calling 1-888-328-6399.

According to Chalkbeat, 75% of NYC families report having more difficulty covering their childrens’ grocery bills this year, as inflation has caused food prices to surge since the beginning of the pandemic.

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THREE NEW JUDGES APPOINTED TO APPELLATE DIVISION COURT

THREE OF GOV. KATHY HOCUL’S NEW APPOINTEES to the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division have served and/or will be serving in Brooklyn. Lourdes M. Ventura, currently an associate justice on the Appellate Term of the Supreme Court for the 2nd, 11th, and 13th Judicial Districts, is a former assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Bureau of the New York State Attorney General’s Office, where she prosecuted cases and investigated complaints involving discrimination in housing, education and other areas. Justice Ventura is currently serving as President of the Latino Judges Association.

Justice Ventura is also a board member of the Supreme Court Judges Association of the City of New York as well as the Judges and Lawyers Breast Cancer Alert.

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JUSTICE CARL LANDICINO APPOINTED TO APPELLATE DIVISION

JUSTICE CARL LANDICINO, whom Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed on Friday to the Appellate Division/Second Department, was elected justice of the Supreme Court for the Second Judicial District of New York in 2011. Justice Landicino is an officer of the Supreme Court Justices Association of the City of New York, and past president of the Columbian Lawyers Association of Brooklyn and of the Nathan Sobel American Inn of Court of Brooklyn.

Landicino began his career as an attorney with the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development.

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JUSTICE LAURENCE LOVE APPOINTED TO APPELLATE DIVISION

JUSTICE LAURENCE LOVE, whom Gov. Kathy Hochul has appointed to the Appellate Division, Second Department, and who in 2019 was elected in Queens County’s 11th Judicial District, currently serves as the New York citywide co-coordinator judge for Child Victims Act cases. Prior to his election to the bench, Justice Love maintained his own law practice with a focus on personal injury law, based in Queens. Justice Love is on the board of the Brandeis Association.

Under the New York State Constitution and Judiciary Law, the governor has the authority to appoint justices to each Appellate Division from among those who have been elected as Justices of the Supreme Court. These appointments are not subject to Senate confirmation.