What’s News, Breaking: Thursday, December 28, 2023

December 28, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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JOIN WORKSHOP ON SHIRLEY CHISHOLM WELCOME CENTER IN PROSPECT PARK

PROSPECT PARK — A COMMUNITY WORKSHOP TO KICK OFF THE CREATION OF THE SHIRLEY CHISHOLM WELCOME CENTER in Prospect Park is taking place on Wednesday, Jan. 17, from 6-8 p.m. The Welcome Center, planned for the Parkside and Ocean entrance to the park, will transform an existing maintenance building into a space that complements the new Shirley Chisholm Monument planned for this entrance. The Center will orient visitors to the life and legacy of Brooklyn political trailblazer Shirley Chisholm, while providing visitor amenities. Attendees can join this in person at Medgar Evers College Academic Building 1 or online via Zoom.

Please RSVP to reserve a spot at prospectpark.org/workshop.

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PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD OPENS
FOR GOWANUS BROWNFIELD SITE

GOWANUS — PUBLIC COMMENT IS INVITED ON A BROWNFIELD CLEANUP PROGRAM (BCP) APPLICATION and Draft Remedial Investigation Work Plan that the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation has received for the Diagravure Film Manufacturing Site at Bergen and Wyckoff streets in Gowanus. The developer applying for the brownfield cleanup is Bergen St Equity LLC. The location, identified as site ID #C224403, sits on a complex of buildings on a block facing both Bergen and Wyckoff streets, near 3rd Avenue. Members of the public wishing to access the work plan, application and other relevant documents may visit the online DECinfo locator; documents also are available at the document repository at Brooklyn Public Library-Pacific Branch (25 Fourth Avenue at Pacific Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217) and Brooklyn Community Board 2 (250 Jay Street, 8th Floor). The deadline for submitting comments is Jan. 26, 2024.

New York’s Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP) is designed to encourage private-sector cleanups of brownfields and to promote their redevelopment as a means to revitalize economically blighted communities.

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NEW YORKER GAZA HOSTAGE REPORTED DEAD

ISRAEL — THE DEATH OF NATIVE NEW YORKER JUDIH (sic) WEINSTEIN HAGGAI, AGE 70, KIDNAPPED FROM HER HOME near the Israel-Gaza border by Palestinian militants during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Gaza strip ruling party Hamas, was confirmed by the village of Kibbutz Nir Oz on Thursday, reports the Times of Israel. Weinstein’s body, along with that of husband Gadi Haggai, age 73, is reportedly being held in Gaza by the kidnappers. A statement from President Biden mourned the news, stating that the couple are believed to have been killed on the day of the attack; the president offered condolences to their family members, who had held hopes that the two could still be alive, and have been tirelessly advocating for hostage return negotiations.

“No family should have to endure such an ordeal. And I reaffirm the pledge we have made to all the families of those still held hostage: we will not stop working to bring them home,” Biden wrote in his statement. Weinstein, who was born in Goshen, NY, and moved to Israel 30 years ago, taught English to students with special needs and volunteered with “children who suffered from anxiety and depression due to living under the threat of rockets from Gaza,” according to the New York Post.

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‘CITY OF YES’ ZONING CHANGES ARE FOCUS
OF COMMUNITY BOARD 11 PUBLIC HEARING

BATH BEACH — BROOKLYN COMMUNITY BOARD 11 IS AMONG SEVERAL OF ITS COUNTERPART MUNICIPAL BODIES THAT IS HOLDING public hearings on the City Of Yes For Economic Opportunity. Community Board 11’s Planning and Zoning Committee, serving Bath Beach, Bensonhurst, Gravesend and Mapleton in southern Brooklyn, will host a 7 p.m. public hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, at the St. Finbar [Church] Annex (138 Bay 20th Street). As part of the City of Yes, the NYC Department of City Planning has proposed a citywide zoning text amendment that would foster economic growth and facilitate the repurposing of existing nonresidential space. It would also give businesses additional zoning flexibility.

The proposal would allow up to three State-licensed gaming facilities as a permitted use in several commercial and manufacturing district zones. The facilities would be considered compliant with zoning only if they have been licensed through the State-level process.

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26 ARRESTED AT JFK PALESTINE PROTEST

QUEENS — MORE THAN TWO DOZEN PRO-PALESTINE PROTESTERS WERE ARRESTED on Wednesday morning after blocking the Van Wyck Expressway near JFK Airport, reports ABC News, leaving some holiday travelers with no choice but to carry luggage along the highway before police were able to restore traffic flow, although the Port Authority later dispatched shuttle buses to the area. The protest is one of several that have spurred debate in the city in recent days, including a Midtown rally on Monday that reportedly led to six arrests and one police injury and a Washington Square Park protest on Sunday that disrupted a Christmas caroling event.

The Palestinian death toll in the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza this week passed 20,000, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza; the Israeli Defense Forces claims to have killed 8,000 members of Hamas in its Gaza operations.

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BUILDING CLEANERS’ MIDNIGHT AGREEMENT
AVERTS NEW YEAR’S DAY STRIKE

CITYWIDE — A MIDNIGHT ACCORD BETWEEN COMMERCIAL BUILDING MANAGERS AND THE WORKERS WHO CLEAN THOSE BUILDINGS WAS REACHED JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT Thursday morning, Dec. 28, thus averting a strike. A bargaining committee composed of 32BJ SEIU members (with their union officers) who clean New York City commercial building offices, transportation hubs and universities reached a tentative agreement with the Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations. Pending ratification votes in the coming weeks, the new agreement will offer 20,000 commercial building service workers the biggest wage increases in 32BJ history over the course of four years, bonuses, the continuation of vital health benefits, improved retirement benefits for the first time in 15 years, among other gains.

The tentative agreement prevented an industry-wide strike in New York City, which was authorized to begin as early as Jan. 1, just after the current agreement expires at midnight on New Year’s Eve.

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SANTOS SLAMS ADAMS FOR CAR BREAK-IN, THEFT OF CHOCOLATES

CITYWIDE — DISGRACED FORMER HOUSE REP. GEORGE SANTOS ON WEDNESDAY CLAIMED on social media that his car had been broken into and robbed of a basket of chocolates and a bag of personal items, reports the Daily News, placing the blame on Mayor Adams’ shoulders: “[Expletive] YOU! @NYCMayor… You need to resign in disgrace you [expletive] [expletive]!” Santos wrote on X (Twitter), alongside a video displaying the damage to the car, saying, “This city only cares to [expletive] over Americans and take our taxpayer dollars and shove it in the [expletive] of these migrants.” Santos, the son of two Brazilian immigrants, was recently expelled from Congress after being federally charged with multiple offenses related to his finances, including theft of public funds, identity fraud, falsifying records, wire fraud and money laundering; the ex-Rep. earlier this year settled a Brazilian felony theft charge that came to light following the exposure of his extensively fabricated background.

“99% sure you broke into the car yourself,” Deputy Mayor Fabien Levy responded on X (Twitter) in apparent jest; Santos characterized this to the Daily News as defamation and slander.

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MTA BRIDGES AND TUNNELS LOGS HIGHEST NUMBER OF CROSSINGS IN NYC HISTORY

CITYWIDE — MTA BRIDGES AND TUNNELS SAID THURSDAY THAT IT IS SET TO RECORD its highest annual traffic volume in its 87-year history, with over 335 million vehicular crossings expected to be made in 2023, an increase of 1.3% over the previous record year, 2019, when 330.7 million crossings were made. The agency recorded 18.5 million crossings in its first full year of operation, 1937, with only three bridges completed at the time.

MTA Bridges and Tunnels operates and maintains seven bridges and two tunnels that link the five boroughs of New York City. It is the busiest bridge and tunnel agency in the United States, according to MTA.

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NY ATTORNEY GENERAL SECURES $740K
IN RESTITUTION FOR CLIENTS GIVEN RUNAROUND

STATEWIDE — THE ONLINE MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDER CEREBRAL MUST PAY $740,000 IN RESTITUTION AND PENALTIES for maintaining a protracted, burdensome cancellation process and continuing to charge consumers after they tried to cancel, as part of an agreement with NY Attorney General Letitia James, announced on Thursday, Dec. 28. An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General found that Cerebral, a subscription fee-based provider of mental health treatment, required subscribers to cancel by email, but then forced additional cancellation steps on consumers and made them wait at least a week for their cancellation requests to be processed. Cerebral will have to pay $540,000 in restitution to more than 16,500 New Yorkers and establish a Simple “Click-to-Cancel” process. Cerebral will also pay the state $200,000 in penalties.

Cerebral must pay restitution directly to consumers within 90 days, by crediting the payment account originally used for the subscription; affected customers need take no further action.

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CONEY WOMAN STILL FIGHTING FOR SANDY REPAIRS 11 YEARS LATER

CONEY ISLAND — ONE NYCHA RESIDENT IS STILL DEALING WITH DAMAGE to her apartment from Superstorm Sandy 11 years later, reports News 12; despite countless requests and repair tickets, Irma Pagan’s unit at the O’Dwyer Gardens complex in hard-hit Coney Island has active leaks, damp walls, crumbling plaster and dangerous mold. NYCHA moved Pagan, who is also fighting cancer, into temporary housing in 2019, but had not repaired the problems when she was told to move back in this year.

Pagan told the News 12 team that she felt neglected by the authority’s failure to address her complaints. The channel’s investigation appears to have prompted a response, however: maintenance workers arrived at her door as she was being interviewed to take pictures of the damage, and NYCHA told News 12 that a plumber would be sent soon to fix what it characterized as recurring issues.

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HEARING ON NYC PROPOSAL TO EXEMPT SOME NEW HOUSING DEVS FROM ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW

CITYWIDE — THE ADAMS ADMINISTRATION IS PROPOSING TO CHANGE NYC RULES requiring environmental review of some new housing developments and associated commercial space in order to “streamline the development process for small- and medium-sized residential developments,” the city’s Office of Environmental Coordination announced on Thursday. The city hopes to adopt a new Type II rule under the review processes (called SEQRA and CEQR) to exempt certain “green” housing developments of up to either 175 or 250 dwelling units, depending on zoning, from further environmental review. According to OEC, the purpose of the rule change is to “avoid unnecessary and time-consuming environmental analyses … where those developments will not have significant adverse environmental impacts.”

The Mayor’s Office will hold a joint public hearing with the City Planning Commission on the proposed rule, called “Green Fast Track for Housing,” at 10 a.m. on Feb. 7 at the NYC Planning Commission’s hearing room at 120 Broadway. The public may attend the meeting in person or remotely, or comment on the city’s rules website. More details online.

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CITY TO EASE UP ON NIGHTCLUBS WITH VIOLATIONS AND COMMUNITY COMPLAINTS

CITYWIDE — MAYOR ERIC ADAMS, KNOWN AS THE ‘NIGHTLIFE MAYOR,’ joined a host of officials on Thursday to announce that the city would drop the unannounced inspections of nightlife establishments after community complaints — an initiative created by the Giuliani administration — and take an “engagement first” approach. The new process requires police precincts “to establish direct, in-person communication with business owners and managers, making them aware of potential violations and concerning conditions, and providing multiple opportunities for them to correct issues before enforcement actions are taken,” the mayor said in a release.

“We must protect public safety, while ensuring businesses can remain open and New Yorkers can still dance in the dark, and that’s why we’re launching CURE: Coordinating a United Resolution with Establishments,” Adams said.

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ADAMS ISSUES EMERGENCY ORDER LIMITING MIGRANT BUSES TO CERTAIN TIMES AND PLACES

CITYWIDE — MAYOR ERIC ADAMS ISSUED AN EMERGENCY EXECUTIVE ORDER ON WEDNESDAY LIMITING CHARTER BUSES CARRYING MIGRANTS into NYC to certain hours of the day, and requiring them to give 32 hours’ notice. The buses would be required to provide information on passengers, as well as drop them off at a designated location, Adams said at a press conference with other big city mayors. He also called on Texas Governor Abbott to “finally stop the games and use of migrants as political pawns.” Roughly 68,000 migrants are currently in the city’s care.

“Just last week, 14 chartered buses with migrants arrived overnight from Texas, the highest recorded number in a single night, in addition to the hundreds of migrants who arrived that very same day via other modes of transportation,” Adams said.

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UWS COUNCILMEMBER SEEKS TO BLOCK BID TO CLEAR BRIDGE VENDORS

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — UPPER WEST SIDE CITY COUNCILMEMBER GALE BREWER this month proposed a bill that would partially defang efforts to remove vendors from the Brooklyn Bridge, reports Our Town NY, allowing for designated vending spots at wider points along the walkway. Mayor Adams took aim at the proposal at a press conference on Tuesday, calling the bill an example of “idealism [colliding with] realism” and describing the current situation as unsafe; the Department of Transportation, now considering public comments on its plan to clear the bridge, stated in October that pedestrian ease of access is “jeopardized by vendors who display and store their wares, carts, tables, tents, tarps, canopies, coolers, and generators along the elevated pedestrian walkway… the safe egress of pedestrians is crucial.”

Members of the public interviewed by the Eagle have condemned the vendors, who have multiplied since the bridge’s bike lane was moved to the lower roadway in 2021, citing fears of crowd crushes and irritation with loud music and hawkers, although some defended the sellers’ value to tourism, particularly in the case of disabled veterans.

Vendor displays take up roughly a third of the Brooklyn Bridge walkway.
Brooklyn Eagle photo by Mary Frost

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NEW YEAR’S FIREWORKS IN PROSPECT PARK

PARK SLOPE — THE ANNUAL PROSPECT PARK NEW YEAR’S FIREWORKS WILL ONCE AGAIN be lighting up the Brooklyn skyline this Sunday, hosted by Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and the Prospect Park Alliance. Live music and entertainment provided by returning emcees Quintessential Playlist starts at Grand Army Plaza at 10 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 31, before the midnight fireworks display.

Admission is free and open to all, although the PPA encourages attendees to RSVP online on EventBrite to estimate crowd sizes.

New Year’s Eve fireworks at Grand Army Plaza.
Photo: Andrew Gardner, courtesy of Prospect Park Alliance

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‘CITY OF YES’ OPPORTUNITY DISCUSSION COMING UP AT CB7

SUNSET PARK — A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE CITY OF YES ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, which involves updating the city’s zoning codes, will take place in a joint committee meeting with the Community Board 7’s Land Use/Landmarks, Transportation, and Economic Development & Small Businesses Committees on Wednesday, Jan. 10, at 6:30 p.m. at the CB7 Meeting Room, located at 4201 4th Avenue (enter on 43rd Street & 4th Avenue). CB7 encompasses the neighborhoods of Sunset Park, Windsor Terrace, Greenwood Heights and South Park Slope.

You can attend the joint committee meeting in person or register to attend virtually. You can also view this committee meeting on the Brooklyn Community Board 7’s YouTube Channel.

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ASSEMBLYMAN COLTON, STAFF BRING CHEER TO MARLBORO HOUSES RESIDENTS

GRAVESEND — THE HOLIDAYS WERE BRIGHTENED AT THE MARLBORO HOUSES, A NYCHA complex in Gravesend, with a recent visit from Assemblyman William Colton (D-47). He and his new Co-Chief of Staff, Dr. Larry He, and veteran staff member Shirley Yip took part in the Marlboro Houses’ annual holiday party, handing out presents to the eager and excited children. Colton, who represents Gravesend, Bath Beach, Bensonhurst and Dyker Heights in the State Assembly, worked in conjunction with the Marlboro Residents Association, President Angie Herrera and members of the association.

“It’s an event I look forward to every year,” said Colton. “Everyone had a truly wonderful time, and I’m so delighted that I was able to be part of the celebration.”

Assemblymember Colton takes time out to greet the children living at Marlboro Houses.
Photo: Office of Assemblymember William Colton

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MISSING GIRL IN OCEAN HILL

OCEAN HILL — POLICE ARE ASKING THE PUBLIC FOR INFORMATION ABOUT MISSING GIRL DEBORAH McCoy, age 13, who was last seen at her residence near the East New York LIRR station shortly after noon on Tuesday, Dec. 19. Deborah is described as around 5’5” and 165 pounds, with a dark complexion and black hair, and was last seen wearing a black jacket, black pants and gold and black sneakers.

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 their tips by logging onto the Crimestoppers website, or on X (Twitter) @NYPDTips.

Missing Ocean Hill girl Deborah McCoy. All calls are strictly confidential.

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POLICE SEEK NINE INVOLVED IN WBURG SHOOTOUT

WILLIAMSBURG — POLICE ARE SEARCHING FOR TWO GROUPS OF PEOPLE WHO ON THE EVENING of Saturday, Dec. 23, engaged in a shootout on the streets of Williamsburg. The conflict began when a group of five unknown individuals approached a group of four other unknown individuals around 6 p.m. near the intersection of Bushwick and Johnson avenues, before members of both groups fired multiple gunshots in each other’s direction. The group of five then fled one block away into the Montrose Avenue L station, while the other group fled on foot to parts unknown; no injuries were reported as a result of the shootout.

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 their tips by logging onto the Crimestoppers website, or on X (Twitter) @NYPDTips.

The group of five unknown individuals who fled the scene of a shootout via L train on Saturday. All calls are strictly confidential.

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BROOKLYN RANKS 2ND-HIGHEST IN UNEMPLOYMENT FOR NOVEMBER

BOROUGHWIDE — BROOKLYN HAS THE SECOND-HIGHEST RATE OF UNEMPLOYMENT in New York City, according to preliminary figures for November released by the state Department of Labor on Wednesday, Dec. 27. While New York City’s overall unemployment rate stood at 4.7%, Brooklyn’s came in at 5.1%. The Bronx registered the most unemployed, however, at 6.1%, continuing a pattern that has remained constant for more than a year.

These rates are an improvement over last year at this time when Brooklyn’s unemployment rate stood at 5.3%.

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MTA ANNOUNCES CONGESTION PRICING DETAILS, PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD

CITYWIDE — THE MTA ON TUESDAY ANNOUNCED THE BEGINNING OF THE PUBLIC REVIEW PROCESS for its proposed tolling structure for the city’s new lower Manhattan congestion pricing program; the authority is soliciting comments on the plan through March 11 of next year, and has scheduled four in-person hearings in late February and early March, after which it has pledged to review and consider feedback. Proposed rates in the draft plan to enter the Central Business District below 60th Street include $15 for cars with EZ Pass and $22.50 without (dropping to $5.50 and $7.50 respectively during late-night hours), while buses and vans will pay $24 with EZ Pass and $36 without; trucks and sightseeing buses will be hit the hardest, facing fees of up to $54 per trip.

The hearings will be hosted on Feb. 29, March 1 and March 4 at 2 Broadway in Manhattan; people may also register to participate remotely via Zoom or telephone, and can watch the hearings online on the MTA’s website and YouTube channel. A full list of the proposed charges can be found on the MTA’s website, as well as information on where to submit comments and accessibility accommodations.

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KINDERGARTEN APPLICATION PERIOD OPENS FOR KIDS BORN IN 2019

CITYWIDE — THE KINDERGARTEN APPLICATION PERIOD for public schools has kicked off, and will be open until Friday, Jan. 19, according to Brooklyn Bridge Parents. If your child was born in 2019 and lives in New York City, they are eligible to attend kindergarten in fall 2024 in public and charter schools. The application period for 3-K & Pre-K opens Jan. 10. Children born in 2020 (pre-K) and 2021 (3-K) will be eligible to apply.

Brooklyn Bridge Parents links to helpful information about finding your zoned schools, attending open houses and the procedure for applying at brooklynbridgeparents.com.

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APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR SUNY, CUNY EXCELSIOR SCHOLARSHIP

STATEWIDE — NEW YORKERS FROM FAMILIES EARNING LESS THAN $125,000 CAN NOW APPLY FOR THE statewide Excelsior Scholarship program for the spring 2024 semester, reports SI Live, in the seventh year of the program, which bridges the gap between federal student aid and tuition costs for attendees of SUNY and CUNY schools. The program has relatively strict eligibility requirements: students must complete at least 30 credits each year, have lived in-state for at least 12 months prior to the start of the semester, and agree to live and work in-state after graduation for a period of time equivalent to how long they received the Excelsior Scholarship, among other rules; in exchange, the state will cover up to $5,500 per semester of tuition expenses owed after accounting for any other aid packages, such as Pell grants or TAP funding.

Application forms and more information about eligibility can be found online on the state Higher Education Services Corporation’s website. Note: this enrollment session is only for the spring 2024 semester; enrollment for fall 2024 will open in the late spring or early summer of 2024.

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SHELTER-IN-PLACE ALERT FOR MANHATTAN’S EAST SIDE FOLLOWING CON EDISON STEAM INCIDENT

MANHATTAN EAST — NEW YORK CITY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ADVISED RESIDENTS TO SHELTER IN PLACE following an accidental release of steam from a ruptured pipe at 5:30 a.m. Wednesday morning on East 52nd Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues in Manhattan. Environmental testing for possible asbestos is being conducted in the affected area, which includes East 51st Street from 2nd Avenue to 3rd Avenue and East 52nd and East 53 Streets from 2nd Avenue to Park Avenue. NYCEM put out the alert at 10:40 a.m. advising members of the public to stay clear of the affected area for safety reasons.

There were traffic and mass transit delays in the area Wednesday morning, Pix11 reports.

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NY PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL MUST PAY $300K FOR DISCLOSING HIPAA-RELATED INFO VIA ITS WEBSITE

STATEWIDE — NEW YORK PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL WILL BE PAYING $300,000 TO NEW YORK STATE FOR DISCLOSING the health information of individuals who visited their website. NY Attorney General Letitia James secured the amount after an investigation by her office found that the hospital used advertising tools on its website that collected and shared private and personal information with third-party tech companies when visitors used the site to search for doctors in particular specialties or book appointments, in violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). As a result of the Dec. 27 settlement, New York Presbyterian, with which Brooklyn Methodist Hospital in Park Slope is affiliated, has agreed to change its policies, secure the deletion of protected health information, and maintain enhanced privacy safeguards and controls.

Between June 2016 and June 2022, NYP used third-party code snippet tools and tracking pixels for marketing purposes. The tools sent information back to the third-party companies, which received a variety of information about NYP’s website visitors: including the user’s health and IP address.

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2022 NYC TOP BABY NAMES: EMMA AND LIAM WIN AGAIN

CITYWIDE — THE CITY HEALTH DEPARTMENT ON TUESDAY ANNOUNCED THE TOP TEN BABY NAMES of 2022, featuring several repeat champions: 388 new Emmas helped the moniker remain the most popular name for baby girls, as it has been since 2017, while 739 Liams hung on to the top spot for baby boys, where it’s been since 2016; nine of the top 2021 names on both lists held onto their positions, with Esther replacing Sofia and Alexander swapping in for Benjamin (although the Health Department noted that if Sofia was counted together with #4 name Sophia, the two would easily end the Emma era.) New York parents also drew inspiration from nature last year, opting for earthy names like Sage (popular with both boys and girls), Jade, Lily, Rose, Violet, Iris and Ocean; as well as names with lofty ambitions, like Prince, Princess, Princeton, Saint, Majesty and King, along with the Game of Thrones-inspired Khaleesi.

As NYC parents have 12 months after birth to register a child’s first name, 2023’s top baby names won’t be available until the end of 2024.

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SUPREME COURT URGED TO ALLOW INFO EXCHANGE BETWEEN GOVERNMENT, SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES

NATIONWIDE — THE SPREAD OF DANGEROUS CONTENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS, AND THE ABILITY OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO WORK WITH THESE COMPANIES is the focus of a letter that NY Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of her counterparts sent on Wednesday, Dec. 27, to the U.S. Supreme Court. The multi-state coalition filed an amicus brief with SCOTUS in the case of Murthy v. Missouri, urging the Supreme Court to reverse a recent decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit that prevents the important exchange of information between the federal government and social media companies about harmful content on their platforms.

The coalition of attorneys general argues that state officials and online platforms have firmly established mutually beneficial relationships built on voluntary coordination and exchanges of information, recommendations and guidance — which the Fifth Circuit erroneously conflated with impermissible government coercion.

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HOSPIRA PHARMACEUTICAL CO. RECALLS SODIUM BICARBONATE INJECTION DOSES

NATIONWIDE — AN INJECTED DRUG USED IN MEDICAL EMERGENCIES such as uncontrolled diabetes or severe renal (kidney) disease is being voluntarily recalled due to the detection of glass particulates in the formula, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration announced early on Wednesday, Dec. 27. Hospira, Inc., a Pfizer company, is voluntarily recalling several lots of 4.2% Sodium Bicarbonate Injection, USP ABBOJECT® Glass Syringe. The recall was initiated due to the potential presence of glass particulate matter, identified during product inspection. Wholesalers, hospitals, institutions and doctors with an existing inventory of a lot being recalled should discontinue use, stop distribution and quarantine the product immediately. For additional assistance, hospitals and providers should call Sedgwick Inc. at 1-800-805-3093.

Patients receiving tainted injections could experience serious adverse events. Potential complications related to the injection of visible and subvisible inert particles include inflammation of a vein, granuloma and blockage of blood vessels, or life-threatening blood clot events.

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BATTERED FISH PRODUCTS RECALLED FOR CONTAINING UNDECLARED SOY

NATIONWIDE — A POPULAR SEAFOOD PRODUCT THAT WAS DISTRIBUTED TO WHOLE FOODS STORES NATIONWIDE is being recalled due to an undeclared soy allergen product, the FDA announced on Wednesday, Dec. 27. Tampa Bay Fisheries, Inc. of Dover, Florida, is voluntarily recalling one lot of 365 Whole Foods Market Beer Battered Pollock Fillets and two lots of 365 Beer Battered Cod Fillet. The affected packages are 32-oz. bags with UPC 9948249803, Lot# 32508201, and a best by date of 03/07/2025 located on the back of the bag; and two lots of 365 Whole Foods Market “Beer Battered Cod Fillet” 12 oz. cartons, one with UPC 9948248051, Lot# 32348201 and best by date of 02/22/2025 and the other Lot# 32628201 with a best by of 03/19/2025 located on the end side of the carton.

The affected product was available for purchase at Whole Foods market stores nationwide between 09/08/2023 through 12/22/2023. No illnesses have been reported to date.