What’s News, Breaking: Friday, January 19, 2024

January 19, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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SUNY DOWNSTATE COULD BE DISMANTLED UNDER HOCHUL PLAN

EAST FLATBUSH — SUNY DOWNSTATE CHANCELLOR JOHN KING WARNED ON WEDNESDAY that big changes may be coming to the teaching hospital, which hemorrhages $100 million annually, Politico reports. King said his administration is working with Gov. Kathy Hochul to create a “transformation plan,” but the changes would involve relocating many services to neighboring facilities like Kings County. Brooklyn lawmakers are worried this could result in the elimination of services in the minority, low-income community. Assemblymember Brian Cunningham (D-Brooklyn) said the Brooklyn delegation is meeting with King next week.

“Let’s call this what it is: SUNY is closing Downstate,” United University Professions President Frederick E. Kowal said in a statement Friday. Public Employees Union President Wayne Spence also said Friday that he heard from SUNY that the transformation plan would result in all PEF healthcare workers being moved to Kings County Medical Center.

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BAY RIDGE REP. MALLIOTAKIS PRAISES
BIPARTISAN TAX RELIEF ACT’S PASSAGE

CAPITOL HILL — THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS HAS PASSED THE TAX RELIEF FOR AMERICAN FAMILIES AND WORKERS ACT, RESTORING SOME EXPIRED PROVISIONS of President Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Congressmember Nicole Malliotakis (R-11), who sits on the committee, applauds the passage of what she identifies as bipartisan legislation that provides American workers, families, farmers and small businesses much needed tax relief. Rep. Malliotakis had co-sponsored or led several of the lapsed provisions, including increasing the Child Tax Credit and indexing it to inflation so more families qualify — including nearly 100,000 families in New York’s 11th Congressional District —for research and development deductions, interest deductibility and 100% expensing for investments in facilities and equipment.

The new bill adds and improves the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, and eliminates the Taiwan double tax that will strengthen America’s competitiveness with China.

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RESTLER: I PLAN TO PUSH FOR NEW STANDARDS, OVERSIGHT

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — CITY COUNCILMEMBER LINCOLN RESTLER WELCOMED on Friday the news of his appointment to chair the council’s Committee on Governmental Operations and State and Federal Legislation, which oversees municipal government agencies and civil services, including the various community boards, the Tax Commission, the Board of Elections, the Law Department and others; this is the first such post for the freshman progressive Democrat, who took his seat in 2022. Restler in a statement pledged to focus on transparency and accountability and to keep a keen eye on “the mismanagement of our City under the Adams administration,” adding, “I plan to push for new standards for governmental efficiency and to bring real oversight to the Adams administration to ensure that we increase hiring, protect the integrity of our elections and campaign finance system, and eliminate political patronage.”

Restler’s appointment to Governmental Operations came as part of a major shakeup on the council this week that saw several other Brooklyn councilmembers lose or swap committee chairs in what some, including Councilmember Tiffany Caban, believed might be retaliation for voting against the mayor and speaker’s city budget proposal last year.

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CITY COUNCILMEMBER FOR NEW DISTRICT 43
WILL BE INAUGURATED THIS SUNDAY

BENSONHURST — CITY COUNCILMEMBER SUSAN ZHUANG, THE FIRST BROOKLYN CHINESE-AMERICAN ELECTED TO THIS LEGISLATIVE BODY, will be inaugurated on Sunday, Jan, 21, at 3 p.m. at the Edith and Carl Marks Jewish Community House of Bensonhurst, 7802 Bay Parkway. Councilmember Zhuang was elected this past November to the position in the newly reconfigured 43rd City Council District, winning 57% of the vote — more than twice as many votes as her nearest competitor in the three-way contest. Councilmember Zhuang began her career in public service as a volunteer; her new 43rd Council District includes portions of Bensonhurst, Gravesend, Dyker Heights, Sunset Park, Boro Park and Bath Beach.

“Looking ahead,” says Zhuang, “I am eager to take on the issues that matter most to the people of my district: safer streets, better educational opportunities and affordable housing.”

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MIDWOOD BABY DIES IN HORRIFIC RADIATOR SCALDING

MIDWOOD — A BABY WILL NEVER SEE HIS FIRST BIRTHDAY AFTER BEING FATALLY SCALDED WHEN A RADIATOR PIPE BURST FRIDAY in his family’s Midwood apartment on Avenue I and East 14th St. The Daily News on Jan. 19 reported that the 11-month-year-old boy was scalded early that morning from the burst pipe. Although paramedics rushed the child to Maimonides Medical Center, efforts to save him failed. The child’s mother was at home but not injured.

The NYPD and Department of Buildings posted a Partial Vacate Order on the building with an address — according to the sign — of 890 East 14th St. According to PropertyShark, the building has an alternate address of 1315-1323 Avenue I, Brooklyn, NY 11230, and last changed owners in July 2021.

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COLTON DEMANDS BETTER ENFORCEMENT OF TRAFFIC LAWS

DYKER HEIGHTS — FOLLOWING THE PEDESTRIAN DEATH LAST TUESDAY OF A 52-YEAR-OLD WOMAN in Dyker Heights, Assemblymember William Colton (D-47) is urging a crackdown on reckless driving and traffic infractions. Xiaohong Chen, 52, was struck and killed while in the crosswalk at 13th Avenue and Bay Ridge Avenue (69th Street), on the evening of Jan. 16. Although the 72-year-old male driver remained at the scene, news reports indicate he was making a left turn at an intersection with poor visibility due to parked cars close to the corner. “Our police officers need to be more vigilant about stopping motorists who flout driving laws and [about using] common sense,” said Colton.

Chen leaves a husband and teenage son bereft. She was the fourth pedestrian killed in New York City since the beginning of 2024, according to CrashMapper.org. In 2023, Crashmapper data showed there were 102 pedestrian deaths in New York City; 26 of which occurred in Brooklyn.

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ADAMS VETOES BILL THAT WOULD BAN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT IN CITY JAILS

CITYWIDE — MAYOR ERIC ADAMS ON FRIDAY VETOED A BILL THAT WOULD HAVE BANNED SOLITARY CONFINEMENT in jails, drawing criticism from City Councilmembers and advocacy groups. Adams said the bill “would have jeopardized the safety of both those in the city’s custody and correctional staff, interfered with the restrictive housing program designed in consultation with the federal monitor in the Nuñez case, and contradicted best practices for correctional safety.” He also said that the Federal Monitor had expressed “deep concerns” about many of the bill’s provisions.

“Solitary confinement, by any name, has been proven to cause physical, psychological, and emotional harm, and its use has contributed to continued violence and deaths on Rikers Island,” Speaker Adrienne Adams and Criminal Justice Chair Sandy Nurse said in a statement, adding that the Council would continue to push to pass the bill. “We specifically sought the federal monitor’s feedback in advance, but our outreach was completely ignored,” they added.

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DASHBOARD CAM SHOWS BROOKLYN WOMAN BARRELING INTO A COP WITH HER LEXIS

UPPER EAST SIDE — A DASHBOARD CAM CAUGHT THE MOMENT A BROOKLYN WOMAN ACCELERATED her Lexus and barreled into a police officer, sending him flying through the air, after he flagged her for driving the wrong way on an Upper East Side street on Wednesday, the NY Post reported Thursday. Sahara Dula, 24, is facing vehicular assault, assault, reckless endangerment and impaired driving charges.

The PBA said in a tweet the officer will be OK, but, “Another night, another hospital emergency room, this time with our brother police officer who was run down on the Upper East Side.”

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COUNCILMEMBERS & ADVOCATES SLAM ADAMS’ VETO OF ‘HOW MANY STOPS ACT’

CITYWIDE — ADVOCATES INCLUDING THE NEW YORK CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION, the Center for Constitutional Rights, Legal Aid, VOCAL-NY and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, along with City Councilmembers Speaker Adrienne Adams and Public Safety Chair Yusef Salaam and others, condemned Mayor Eric Adams’ veto of a bill on Friday that would have required police to report lower-level interactions with the public, including stops and voluntary searches. “At a time when one out of every four stops made by the Mayor’s new police unit has been found to be unconstitutional, and civilian complaints are at their highest level in more than a decade, the Mayor is choosing to fight to conceal information from the public,” the Councilmembers said in a release.

Countering Adams’ criticism of the bill, Williams on Thursday told Spectrum News NY1 “The Rush Hour,” that the bill “does not add a significant amount of work. It does not prevent police work. It is police work.” He added, “I lived through Mayor Giuliani. I worked through Mayor Bloomberg, and this is more deception than I’ve seen from any of those mayors.”

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ADAMS VETOES ‘HOW MANY STOPS ACT,’ SETTING UP CONFRONTATION WITH CITY COUNCIL

CITYWIDE — MAYOR ERIC ADAMS VETOED ON FRIDAY A BILL that would have required police to report lower-level interactions with the public, including stops and voluntary searches. Adams said in a release that though the “How Many Stops Act” had good intentions, it would cause a paperwork burden, slow police response times and cost tens of millions in overtime. The City Council had passed the legislation in December with a “veto-proof” majority, meaning that the council could override Adams in a second round.

Numerous community and legal advocates criticized the mayor’s veto, including Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams, who said in a release Friday, “Either he is vetoing the bill without reading it, or he has been deliberately deceiving people to scare New Yorkers and justify his dangerous choice. I’m angered by his selfishness.” 

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BROOKLYN MUSEUM SET TO OPEN
NEWLY-RENOVATED EDUCATION CENTER

EASTERN PARKWAY — THE BROOKLYN MUSEUM WILL OPEN ITS NEW TOBY DEVAN LEWIS EDUCATION CENTER ON SATURDAY, JAN. 27. The center, which is newly renovated, is named in honor of philanthropist, collector, and curator Toby Devan Lewis and her tremendous contributions to the art world. The revamped 9,500-square-foot space will allow the Museum to better serve the more than 50,000 visitors who participate in the Museum‘s education programs each year, including early childhood learners, school groups, teen audiences, college graduates, older visitors and visitors with disabilities.

Three studios will offer expanded access to art-making and learning for all ages, and a dedicated gallery will host rotating family-friendly installations, kicking off with Artland: An Installation by Do Ho Suh and Children.

Brooklyn Museum Toby Devan Lewis Education center — The Toby Devan Lewis Education Center at the Brooklyn Museum, which will open on Jan. 27.
Photo: Alexander Severin

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NY ATTORNEY GENERAL SUES DEBT RELIEF
COMPANY FOR DEFRAUDING ITS CUSTOMERS

STATEWIDE — NEW YORK-BASED STRATFS LLC (STRATFS), FORMERLY KNOWN AS STRATEGIC FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS, LLC AND A WEB OF RELATED SHELL COMPANIES, have been sued for running an illegal debt-relief enterprise scheme and defrauding consumers. New York Attorney General Letitia James, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and a multistate coalition of six attorneys general are the plaintiffs in a lawsuit claiming that the key operators, Ryan Sasson, CEO of StratFS, and Jason Blust, who controlled the purported law firms were also allegedly involved in the scheme. StratFS is accused of tricking consumers into paying exorbitant fees by claiming that the company’s network of law firms will negotiate down their debts, but most work is done by non-attorneys. Since 2016, StratFS is believed to have swindled thousands of financially vulnerable consumers out of more than $100 million.

The day after filing suit, Attorney General James, CFPB, and the coalition won a temporary restraining order immediately stopping the fraudulent scheme.

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FORMER NYC COMPTROLLER SCOTT STRINGER EXPLORES RUN FOR MAYOR

CITYWIDE — FORMER NYC COMPTROLLER SCOTT STRINGER HAS FILED PAPERS with the city’s Campaign Finance Board to create an exploratory committee for a possible mayoral run, according to NY1. Before serving as city comptroller, Stringer served as Manhattan borough president and a state assemblyman. Stringer said that city residents have “buyers remorse” after electing Eric Adams as mayor. “Crime is up, housing is down, education is flat,” Stringer said.

Stringer ran for mayor in 2021, but got derailed by sexual harassment allegations by lobbyist Jean Kim. Stringer has denied the allegations and filed a defamation lawsuit against Kim, which is under appeal.

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NUMBER OF FIRES CAUSED BY FAULTY LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES KEEPS GOING UP

CITYWIDE — NYC FIREFIGHTERS RESPONDED TO 267 FIRES caused by faulty lithium-ion batteries in 2023, up from 220 in 2022 (and 104 in 2021), Gothamist reports. The number of deaths from these fires tripled, to 18 in 2023 from 6 in 2022. Lawmakers have introduced several new safety measures, including bills outlawing the sale of cheap, low-quality batteries. Mayor Eric Adams has also announced plans to build safe charging hubs at 53 NYCHA complexes and other locations, and the city is inspecting bike shops where the batteries are sold.

Many delivery workers can only afford the cheap but dangerous batteries, however, and often charge them at home while they sleep.

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POLICE SEARCH FOR MAN WANTED FOR ‘INADVERTENT’ HOMICIDE

BROWNSVILLE — POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR A SUSPECT WHO THEY SAY INADVERTENTLY FIRED HIS GUN, hitting another man on a subway train as they were engaged in a verbal dispute on Sunday, Jan. 14, at about 8 p.m. According to NYPD, the men were aboard a northbound 3 train arriving at the Rockaway Avenue subway station when the argument and inadvertent shooting took place. The 45-year-old male victim was hit twice in the torso. The suspect was last seen fleeing the Utica Avenue train station. The victim was transported by EMS to Kings County Hospital in critical condition, where he was later pronounced deceased.

The suspect is described as a male with a dreadlock hairstyle and a dark complexion. He was last seen wearing a black jacket with a black hood, dark-colored sneakers, and dark-colored pants. Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or visit Crime Stoppers online.

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LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION AT CITY POINT

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — THE DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN PARTNERSHIP IS SET to ring in the Lunar New Year at Albee Square this February, featuring live music and traditional lion dancing by the Choy Lay Fut Dance Team. DBP, City Point and DeKalb Market eateries will be giving away lucky red envelopes with coins, swag and gift certificates for local Asian-owned businesses; while families can have dragon-themed fun at the mall’s Balloontopia pop-up and a crafts portrait studio, as well as at a kids’ drums playspace.

The Albee Square Lunar New Year celebration will take place on Saturday, Feb. 3, from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Albee Square on Fulton Street. Activities are free for all.

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NYU RESEARCH TEAM WINS $5M GRANT TO ADVANCE TECHNOLOGY HELPING VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — NYU TANDON SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING HAS BEEN AWARDED A $5 MILLION GRANT from the National Science Foundation to advance accessibility for people with blindness and low vision to navigate their surroundings. A team at NYU Tandon School of Engineering will kick off the second phase of its ambitious research project that aims to transform navigation and accessibility for many of the 285 million people with blindness and low vision (pBLV) worldwide. Leading the team is John-Ross Rizzo — an associate professor in NYU Tandon’s Biomedical Engineering department, who works across several disciplines within the university, including rehabilitation medicine. The team will continue developing VIS4ION (Visually Impaired Smart Service System for Spatial Intelligence and Onboard Navigation), a wearable technology platform designed to help pBLV better understand and navigate their local environments.

VIS4ION works by using miniaturized sensors including cameras, microphones, GPS and motion sensors on wearable devices to collect data about the user’s environment.

John-Ross Rizzo displays a backpack that can help pBLV better navigate their local environments.
Photo: NYU Langone

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IN MEMORIAM: JOSEPH C. ZADROGA, 76, DIES; PUSHED FOR HEALTH BILL TO COMPENSATE 9/11 EMG WORKERS

NEW JERSEY AND WORLD TRADE CENTER SITE — JOSEPH C. ZADROGA, WHO FOUGHT FOR HEALTH CARE BENEFITS ON BEHALF of thousands of Ground Zero emergency workers, died on Saturday after being hit by a car, the New York Times’ Sam Roberts reports. Zadroga was personally inspired after his son, NYPD Detective James Zadroga, died at age 34 after exposure to contaminants in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks. The elder Mr. Zadroga successfully pushed for Congressional passage in 2010 of the bill named for his son’s memory, the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, and was successful also in the law’s 2015 reauthorization.

Upon James Zadroga’s death in 2006, his young daughter Tyler Ann became orphaned — as her mother had died the prior year from a heart attack. The elder Zadroga was among several family members raising Tyler Ann.

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NY ATTORNEY GENERAL WINS LANDMARK SETTLEMENT FOR RIDESHARE DRIVERS

CITYWIDE — THE CITY’S UBER AND LYFT DRIVERS AND NY ATTORNEY GENERAL LETITIA JAMES TOGETHER CELEBRATED A HISTORIC $328 MILLION SETTLEMENT that the state’s top law enforcement official secured for them. The settlement with the companies Uber and Lyft will deliver back pay, sick leave, minimum pay and other benefits to more than 100,000 NY rideshare drivers, as compensation for what the Office of the Attorney General called cheating drivers out of several years’ fair pay. Beginning March 1, 2024, drivers will be able to apply for settlement funds and will start receiving other benefits, including paid sick leave and a minimum pay rate.

Uber will pay $290 million and Lyft will pay $38 million into two separate settlement funds which will be entirely distributed to current and former drivers, who can access more information about the settlements on the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) website.

Attorney General James, NYTWA Executive Director Bhairavi Desai and members of NYTWA celebrate the settlement.
Photo courtesy Office of Attorney General Letitia James

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SIX INDICTED FOR MASSIVE EAST COAST THEFT SPREE, HIT 130 STORES

DOWNTOWN — SIX GANG MEMBERS WERE INDICTED IN BROOKLYN ON THURSDAY and charged with a massive, 20-month theft spree at Lowe’s and Home Depot stores in 13 states across the Northeast. According to Breon Peace, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and James Smith, assistant director-in-charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office, the defendants, members of the Hoolie street gang ranging in age from 21-24, stole at least $516,000 in merchandise from 71 Lowe’s and 59 Home Depot branches. At least 21 of the stores were located in the Eastern District, which includes Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and parts of Long Island. The gang also stole $320,000 in Hertz rental cars, which they used to drive to the stores.

Defendants Christopher World, Lovell Ambrister and Hassen Lewis were arrested Thursday and will be arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marcia M. Henry. Trent Dance and Von Vincent are detained on other charges upstate. Defendant William Harvin is still at large. The government seeks pretrial detention of the defendants based on their history of fleeing from police.

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MAN CHARGED WITH EXPORTING FORBIDDEN TECH INTO RUSSIA TO USE AGAINST UKRAINE

DOWNTOWN — BUSINESSMAN ILYA KAHN WAS CHARGED IN FEDERAL COURT IN BROOKLYN THURSDAY for his alleged multimillion-dollar scheme to illegally export thousands of sophisticated semiconductors from the United States to a Russian business, Elvees, which serves the Russian military and FSB (formerly KGB). Elvees was sanctioned by the U.S. for its critical role in facilitating Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Ilya Kahn’s alleged actions — utilizing a nefarious web of companies to export sensitive controlled technology to the Russian military and intelligence services — directly harmed the interests and security of the United States and our allies,” Breon Peace, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a release. Kahn, a citizen of Israel, the U.S. and Russia, illegally routed the shipments through Hong Kong and other countries.

Kahn is the owner of Senesys Incorporated, based in California, and Sensor Design Association with an address on 17th Street in Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn.

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NYC TRAVEL ADVISORY: 1-5” OF SNOW ON FRIDAY; CODE BLUE DECLARED

CITYWIDE — NYC EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT (NYCEM) HAS ISSUED A TRAVEL ADVISORY FOR FRIDAY as anywhere from 1-5” of snow could accumulate throughout the day, depending on the storm’s path. The snow will start during morning rush hour and continue until roughly evening rush hour. “We encourage New Yorkers to prepare a plan for [Friday’s] slippery and messy evening commute,” NYCEM Commissioner Zach Iscol said in a release. Even colder air moves over the area following the storm, NYCEM warns. Wind chills could approach zero over the weekend with gusty winds of 20 to 30 mph. Sub-freezing temperatures will persist until Monday.

The city has declared a Code Blue, meaning no one who is homeless will be denied shelter. Alternate Side Parking Regulations will be suspended Friday but payment at parking meters will remain in effect throughout the city.

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MAYOR’S LEGAL DEFENSE FUND DISCLOSURE SHOWS $700K IN DONATIONS

CITYWIDE — MAYOR ADAMS’ LEGAL DEFENSE FUND HAS RAKED IN OVER $700,000 from over 200 donors in the two months since its launch in the wake of the highly public federal investigation into the mayor’s relationship with the Turkish government, reports Politico, and has spent over $400,000 of it on legal representation already, with the bulk of that sum going to law firm WilmerHale. Queens Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar, a longtime Adams ally, was the only elected official to donate, contributing $2,500, according to the fund’s disclosures to the city Conflicts of Interest Board; other contributors included One Brooklyn Health board chair Alexander Rovt and two Rovt family members, Russia-linked billionaire Leonard Blavatnik, former mayor Bloomberg, and Adams associate Frank Carone and three family members.

The mayor’s election campaign disclosed that it has netted around $400,000 since July, $181,000 of which was paid out to Adams’ former fundraising manager, Brianna Suggs, whose home was raided in November by the FBI.

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HOCHUL ANNOUNCES $233B BUDGET

STATEWIDE — GOVERNOR HOCHUL ON TUESDAY ANNOUNCED THE DETAILS OF HER PROPOSED $233 billion budget for fiscal year 2025, reports City & State, offering a “solid, balanced” plan with no income tax raises and minor spending increases; the plan includes $2.3 billion to address the ongoing migrant crisis, with $1 billion specifically to reimburse NYC for a portion of its spending, which is projected to reach $12 billion by the end of FY 2025, according to the Mayor’s Office. Other highlights include a record $35.3 billion for education, $35.5 billion for Medicaid, $8.5 billion for public safety and mental health, $7.9 billion for the MTA, $435 million for flood resiliency and $61 million for the Interborough Express.

The governor also proposed a four-year extension of mayoral control of public schools, as well as a potential replacement for the 421-a property tax exemption intended to help spur new development.

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COUNCIL SHAKEUP: OSSE, CABAN, YEGER, HANIF LOSE CHAIRS; AVILES, NURSE, RESTLER TAKE NEW POSTS

CITYWIDE — SEVERAL BROOKLYN CITY COUNCILMEMBERS WILL BE AFFECTED BY CHANGES in council committee leadership during the 2024-2025 session, reports City & State. Four members are losing their chairs, including Chi Osse on the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tiffany Caban on Women and Gender Equity, Kalman Yeger on Standards and Ethics and Shahana Hanif on Immigration; Hanif was named co-chair of the Taskforce to Combat Hate. Meanwhile, Alexa Aviles will move from chairing Public Housing to replace Hanif on Immigration, and Sandy Nurse will chair Criminal Justice and give up her position as chair of Sanitation. Lincoln Restler will take his first chair, of /Governmental Operations; while Jennifer Gutierrez and Justin Brannan will keep theit chairs of Technology and Finance respectively.

Osse, Caban and Hanif bucked Mayor Adams and Speaker Adrienne Adams last year to vote against this year’s budget, as did Aviles, Nurse, Gutierrez and Restler. An email sent by Caban on Thursday suggested the move could be “punishment for my votes against the Mayor’s cruel, dangerous budget cuts,” and Osse wrote in a statement that he was “disappointed,” although Speaker Adams at a press conference denied any retaliation.

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13TH ANNUAL JUSTICE MILTON MOLLEN AWARDS WILL HONOR UNIFIED COURT SYSTEM STAFF

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — THE THIRTEENTH ANNUAL MILTON MOLLEN COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE AWARD, being presented next Wednesday, Jan. 24, will honor eight employees of the Unified Court System within the Second Judicial Department. Presiding Justice Hector D. LaSalle of the Appellate Division, Second Department in Brooklyn, made the announcement on Thursday, Jan. 18. The award is presented annually to staff members who have demonstrated the highest level of dedication, integrity and professionalism. Honorees include Tamara Broadus, court clerk specialist with the Supreme Court, Kings County, Civil Term, Appellate Division; Phyllis G. Carusillo, court analyst with the Second Department Ancillary Agency’s Grievance Committee for the Tenth Judicial District; and Honsan Wong, senior management analyst with the IT Department Appellate Division, Second Department. The ceremony, taking place at the Appellate Division Courthouse at 45 Monroe Place in Brooklyn Heights, will feature special remarks by former Presiding Justice Mollen’s son, Scott E. Mollen, a distinguished attorney.

A Brooklyn native and graduate of Samuel J. Tilden High School and St. John’s University School of Commerce and School of Law, Justice Mollen, during 1993-1994, headed the Mollen Commission. The commission concluded that widespread police corruption was rampant in five NYPD precincts, including in Brooklyn.

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MALLIOTAKIS: EMPLOYEE RETENTION CREDIT WILL BE REMOVED FROM TAX CODE

SOUTHWEST BROOKLYN — BUSINESSES IN BROOKLYN, PARTICULARLY IN THE 11TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, NEED TO FILE for the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) before Jan. 31, 2024, before changes in the tax code go into effect, urges Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, who sits on the House Committee on Ways and Means, Congress’ chief tax writing committee. The Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC), is a refundable tax credit for certain eligible businesses and tax-exempt organizations (but not individuals) that had employees and were affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the new bipartisan tax framework being negotiated by House and Senate financial leaders, the Employee Retention Tax Credit will be removed from the tax code. Because of this, all ERTC claims must be filed before Jan. 31, 2024, as Congress is hoping to pass the tax package before the current tax season begins.

Malliotakis’ office explains that the $80 billion in savings from the ERTC being discontinued will be used to extend key provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that have expired.