What’s News, Breaking: Tuesday, December 19, 2023

December 19, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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LEADING BROOKLYN ENGINEERING SCHOOL
PARTICIPATES IN NATIONAL CYBER SERVICE
ACADEMY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

CAPITOL HILL AND DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — NYU Tandon School of Engineering in Downtown Brooklyn is participating in U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s newly expanded Cyber Service Academy scholarship program through the recently passed National Defense Authorization Act. During a video press conference on Tuesday, Dec. 19, Sen. Gillibrand said this program aims to remedy a widespread shortage in government cyber personnel, rendering the U.S. vulnerable to cyber-attacks by foreign adversaries. As the Eagle reported yesterday, the program will provide free tuition to accepted students in exchange for a public service stint in cybersecurity. The deadline to apply to NYU-Tandon or another of the 20 eligible N.Y. schools for the next academic year is Febr. 1, 2024.

Academy students will be required to serve in the DoD or in the Intelligence Community for one year per year of scholarship, up to five years. They are also expected to serve in internships during school breaks.

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NEW BILL WOULD PROVIDE SENIORS
WITH MEDICALLY-TAILORED MEALS

CAPITOL HILL — New bipartisan legislation in Congress would establish a nationwide pilot program through Medicare to provide medically tailored meals to seniors with diet-impacted diseases. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-11/southwestern Brooklyn) has joined with her colleagues, Republican Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Democrats James P. McGovern (Massachusetts) and Chellie Pingree (Maine), on Tuesday, Dec. 19, to introduce The Medically Tailored Home-Delivered Meals Demonstration Pilot Act (H.R. 6780). The law would test various Medicare payment and delivery models to improve health outcomes for some of the nation’s most vulnerable seniors, reduce the rate of hospital readmissions, and increase access to healthy foods while saving the Medicare program and taxpayers money.

“The large majority of seniors 60 years of age and up are living with one or more chronic health conditions that can limit their ability to shop or cook for themselves,” said Congresswoman Malliotakis. “By establishing a Medicare-covered pilot program to deliver nutritious and medically tailored meals to homes, we can provide our vulnerable seniors with peace of mind, improve their overall health and lower their healthcare costs by reducing their hospital readmission rates.”

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LEGISLATION WOULD ENSURE VOTING
WHEN ELECTIONS ARE DISRUPTED

STATEWIDE — STATE SENATOR ANDREW GOUNARDES (D-26) HAS INTRODUCED A BILL TO REMEDY POTENTIAL ELECTION DISRUPTIONS. As New Yorkers approach another federal election year, Senator Gounardes on Tuesday, Dec. 19, introduced a bill that would allow bipartisan election officials to adapt in real-time to election disruptions, extending time for balloting at impacted polling places if necessary. Responding to the lack of a functional framework in New York for rapid response solutions to address natural or human-caused incidents that interrupt voting at poll sites, the bill would ensure that voters are still able to vote for the full amount of time the Board of Elections had previously allotted.

Elections disruptions have reportedly spiked in recent years: last year, a bomb threat targeted the Jackie Robinson Educational Complex in Manhattan’s East Harlem neighborhood, with the NYPD evacuation robbing voters of at least two hours of early voting during the 2022 general election. And the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attack aborted New York City’s primary election that day, as polls had already opened.

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KINGS PLAZA MALL EVACUATED AFTER
BOMB THREAT ON TUESDAY

MILL BASIN — CHRISTMAS SHOPPING WAS DERAILED AFTER A BOMB THREAT AT KINGS PLAZA SHOPPING CENTER prompted the evacuation of the mall on Tuesday, Patch reported. The shopping center on Flatbush Avenue and Avenue U in Mill Basin, Brooklyn, was evacuated out of an “abundance of caution” at about 11:20 a.m., Patch said.

No one was injured, and the NYPD Bomb Squad remained at the scene Tuesday afternoon.

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ARBITRATOR RULES NYU LANGONE HOSPITAL-BROOKLYN UNDERSTAFFED NURSES

SUNSET PARK — AN INDEPENDENT ARBITRATOR RULED THAT NYU LANGONE HOSPITAL-BROOKLYN understaffed nurses in its medical-surgical unit and exceeded the nurse-to-patient ratios required by a union contract, THE CITY reported Tuesday. Arbitrator Howard Edelman found that the medical-surgical unit at the Sunset Park hospital was understaffed 47 times from May to August 2022.

The affected nurses would receive about $37,000 total as part of the arbitration award, which stemmed from grievances that the nurses’ union — The United Federation of Teachers — filed against the hospital.

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‘LAY OUT’ HOLIDAY MARKET FEATURES 70+ BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES

ATLANTIC TERMINAL — THE LAY OUT MARKET, FEATURING A ROTATION OF MORE THAN 70 BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES including The Printing Block, Baked N’ Full, Furkat & Robbie, Plantdad by Moobience and more, is offering a festive shopping experience at Atlantic Terminal Mall, 625 Atlantic Ave., this weekend and next, with extended hours through Christmas Eve. Shop alongside caroling from Sirens of Gotham Chorus, photo ops with Santa Claus, and performances from the Brooklyn Music School Youth Orchestra.

Founded in 2020 with the mission of uplifting Black culture and businesses, the Lay Out operates throughout the mall’s ground floor from 1 – 7 p.m., with carolers from 1 – 3 p.m.

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POLICE SEARCHING FOR MISSING 14-YEAR-OLD SHEEPSHEAD BAY BOY

SHEEPSHEAD BAY — POLICE ARE SEARCHING FOR A MISSING 14-YEAR-OLD BOY who was last seen leaving his home on Nostrand Avenue in Sheepshead Bay on Sunday, Dec. 17, around 6:15 p.m. Keron Jones is described as Black with brown hair, brown eyes, approximately 5’1, and approximately 90 lbs. He was last seen wearing a blue jacket, grey sweatpants, a black and red sweatshirt and red sneakers.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782), or by visiting Crime Stoppers online.

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NYC APPROVES DIGITAL GAMING INCUBATOR AT NYU TANDON IN BROOKLYN

DOWNTOWN — NYC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORP. HAS APPROVED THE CREATION OF A DIGITAL GAMING INCUBATOR at NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering in Downtown Brooklyn, EDC and NYC Media Lab announced on Tuesday. The program will be led by startup incubator NYU Tandon Future Labs, which will tap into the growing digital game development industry. The Adams administration has identified digital gaming as an economic development priority and wants to make a NYC digital gaming hub, EDC said.

The industry is responsible for 7,600 jobs, $762 million in wages, and $2 billion in economic output, according to the 2021 NYC Digital Games Industry Economic Impact Study, conducted by the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment.

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MORE THAN $179,000 RAISED AFTER BICYCLE DEATH OF BK COMEDIAN KENNY DEFOREST

CROWN HEIGHTS — A FUNDRAISER BROUGHT IN MORE THAN $179,000 TO HELP THE FAMILY cover the medical bills of noted stand-up comedian Kenny DeForest, who died Dec. 13 after a tragic bicycle accident in Brooklyn. DeForest, 37, drove into a parked vehicle at the intersection of Saint Marks and Rogers avenues in Crown Heights while riding an electric CitiBike bike on Dec. 8, police told the Brooklyn Eagle. He underwent neurological surgery to remove a piece of his skull and relieve pressure from a brain bleed at Kings County Hospital, according to Ryan Beck, organizer of the Gofundme.

“He died at Kings County Hospital surrounded by his parents, family, and friends,” Beck wrote. His organs were donated to give the gift of life to others.

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BIG CHIEF SMOKE SHOP SHUTTERED FOR SELLING CANNABIS WITHOUT LICENSE

BAY RIDGE — AN UNLICENSED CANNABIS SHOP IN BAY RIDGE HAS BEEN SHUT DOWN, NY Attorney General Letitia James announced on Monday, Dec. 18. Big Chief Smoke Shop of 3rd Avenue and 73rd St. in Bay Ridge sold unregulated cannabis and ignored repeated orders to stop operating without a license. Investigators from the Office of Cannabis Management and the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, inspecting the store on two occasions, confiscated more than 600 pounds of cannabis and cannabis products that OCM had not tested. Attorney General James and OCM are seeking penalties from both the store owner and the building owner out of which Big Chief had operated, the latter for an unlawful business to operate on the property. The store’s owner could also face millions of dollars in penalties as a result of today’s action.

The closure of Big Chief marks the ninth unlicensed cannabis store that Attorney General James and OCM have shuttered.

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LACK OF COLD STORAGE IN RED HOOK LEADS TO NEEDLESS TRUCK TRAFFIC, BK OFFICIALS SAY

RED HOOK — BECAUSE RED HOOK, A MAJOR FREIGHT HUB, HAS NO COLD STORAGE FACILITIES, produce shipped into the Red Hook Marine Terminal must be trucked to locations outside of NYC where it can be refrigerated. Once the produce is ready for distribution, it is often transported right back into Brooklyn, increasing truck traffic on already jammed streets, Brooklyn officials who represent the industrial waterfront said Monday. To alleviate this situation, Rep. Dan Goldman, state Sen. Andrew Gounardes, Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes, Brooklyn BP Antonio Reynoso and Councilmember Alexa Aviles urged the NYC Economic Development Corporation to sublease a facility at Pier 11 that will include cold storage capabilities.

“The availability of Pier 11 presents the ideal opportunity to establish an adequate cold storage facility at the Red Hook Marine Terminal that would immediately and simultaneously reduce the volume of truck traffic plaguing the neighborhood and eliminate severe supply-chain inefficiencies,” the officials wrote in a letter to EDC.

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BROOKLYN COLLEGE, ALREADY ON AUSTERE BUDGET, ORDERED TO FIND MORE CUTS

FLATBUSH/MIDWOOD — BROOKLYN COLLEGE IS AMONG SEVERAL City University of New York (CUNY) schools that have been ordered to slash their budgets. The college, whose sprawling 35-acre campus is located in Flatbush/Midwood, has had its operations already plagued by a financial shortfall, with library cuts and a shuttered cafeteria. Brooklyn and Queens Colleges have been ordered to submit “enhanced deficit reduction plans” that find savings and boost revenue both for the current 2023-24 and the following academic year, the Daily News has reported. The order is in the wake of last month’s $23 million cut to the city’s public university system in the revised municipal budget. Worsening the situation is that CUNY will also be losing federal COVID aid. Previous budget cuts have already impacted the campus library’s houses and ended financial assistance to faculty for customary expenditures like chalk, paper and department graduation parties for students and advisees.

Moreover, reported the Daily News, the college cafeteria has been shuttered for nearly the entire semester due to a rat infestation. Campus food trucks are more expensive, with meals averaging $15.

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NEW YORK FIRMS BARRED FROM MAKING ADULTERATED DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — TWO NEW YORK COMPANIES AND A DELAWARE FIRM ARE ENJOINED FROM MANUFACTURING AND DISTRIBUTING ADULTERATED AND MISBRANDED DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS as part of a settlement, the Department of Justice, FDA and Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York announced on Monday, Dec. 18. A civil complaint was filed against the three companies and their owner, Mohammed Islam, for manufacturing and distributing adulterated and misbranded dietary supplements, in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA). The civil complaint alleges that Mr. Islam and the TBN companies failed to establish product specifications for the finished batches, manufactured the products without testing or examining the finished batches to verify that they met product specifications and used dietary ingredients without first testing or examining them to verify their identity. Moreover, violations were found during four inspections held between 2017 and the current year.

Mr. Islam and the TBN companies agreed to settle the suit and be bound by a consent decree of permanent injunction.

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CUSTOM HOUSE RECEIVES PLAQUE FOR LONGSTANDING TOY DRIVE

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — CUSTOM HOUSE, A POPULAR RESTAURANT AND BAR in Brooklyn Heights, and neighborhood parish St. Charles Borromeo again teamed up for the 12th Annual Toy Drive to support Catholic Charities Brooklyn. The drive began on Nov. 24, and Custom House patrons were encouraged to bring in an unwrapped toy or gift card for children between the ages of 2 and 14. The bar offered a complimentary beer as a token of appreciation. Moreover, Catholic Charities awarded the restaurant with a plaque for this commitment.

At last week’s toy distribution, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens already served over 1,600 children at two toy distributions held at St. Vincent Ferrer Roman Catholic Church in East Flatbush.

To show gratitude for Custom House’s generosity each year, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens gave them a plaque to hang up on site to share with Custom House patrons. Pictured from left to right: John O’Malley, St. Charles Borromeo Roman Catholic Church; Red Davis, Owner of Custom House, and Gordon Le, Associate Director Community Outreach Services, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens.
Photo: Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens

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NEW BILL AIMS TO INCREASE NYPD TRANSPARENCY ON POLICE STOPS

CITYWIDE — A NEW BILL THAT NYC PUBLIC ADVOCATE JUMAANE WILLIAMS AND CITY COUNCILMEMBER ALEXA AVILÉS (D-38) ARE CO-SPONSORING would prevent discriminatory and unconstitutional policing. Named the “How Many Stops’ Act,” this legislation would address the underreporting of police stops, on which the Federal Monitor for the NYPD has regularly raised concerns, ensure that officers are only making stops with the proper legal justification, and identify patterns of abuse to enable policy-makers to make informed decisions about what future reforms are needed. It would also set the stage for increased NYPD accountability and to repair the harm done by decades of unconstitutional and racially motivated enforcement practices.

A copy of the bill made available to the news media clarifies that reporting would be required only on formal Level 1 police pedestrian stops and investigative encounters, not casual interactions, such as giving directions or quick greetings.

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BEAN SPROUTS BRAND RECALLED FOR LISTERIA CONTAMINATION

NORTHEASTERN U.S. — NEW YORK CONSUMERS WHO HAVE BAGS OF CHANG FARM BRAND MUNG BEAN SPROUTS in their refrigerators are alerted to a recall from the Food & Drug Administration and the USDA. The organism Listeria monocytogenes has been found in the 12 oz Nature’s Wonder Mung Bean Sprouts with a sell-by date of Dec. 13, 2023. The code for the affected product, which was distributed to stores in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts, is 12/13, present on the back inside the white box, labeled under the Chang Farm Brand as Nature’s Wonder Premium Bean Sprouts, as pictured.

Listeria monocytogenes can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women, serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. It also causes short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headaches, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea in healthy persons.

Labels from the recalled Chang’s Farm Mung Bean Sprouts.
Photo: U.S. Food & Drug Administration

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SEN. GILLIBRAND TO ANNOUNCE EXPANSION OF CYBER SERVICE ACADEMY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

CAPITOL HILL — THE CYBER SERVICE ACADEMY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, which U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) created to address a widespread shortage in government cyber personnel, will be expanded, thanks to the recently passed National Defense Authorization Act. Sen. Gillibrand on Tuesday, Dec. 19, is scheduled to officially announce the program, which encourages students to apply for free college in exchange for public service. The program aims to develop a talented cyber workforce; students who are accepted into the program commit to public service in a cyber-related discipline in the Department of Defense or the intelligence community after graduating.

The scholarship award will include full tuition, select books and fees, a stipend, purchase of a laptop and other benefits.