What’s News, Breaking: Thursday, March 14, 2024

March 14, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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COUNCILMEMBER ZHUANG’S OFFICE USED CITY EMAIL TO RAISE MONEY

SUNSET PARK — STAFF MEMBERS FOR CITY COUNCILMEMBER SUSAN ZHUANG last month circulated an email asking for donations for Sunset Park’s Lantern Festival Parade on behalf of a nonprofit group, in violation of city ethics rules that forbid the use of official email accounts to raise money for nonprofits, reports the Daily News. The email, sent on Feb. 9, invited prospective event sponsors to contact the councilmember’s office for information — but those who did were then informed that sponsorship would require a donation of thousands of dollars to the event organizer, Asian American Community Empowerment, a group that allegedly works closely with the Chinese government to improve its image overseas.

Zhuang, who was elected to her seat in November, denied that her staff had solicited donations “associated with this parade,” according to the Daily News.

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TAX HELP WITH CB 9

CROWN HEIGHTS — COMMUNITY BOARD 9 IS HOSTING A “TAX TOWN HALL” on Wednesday at the Crown Heights Library, helping to connect individuals and small businesses to tax professionals and preparation services. Experts from the IRS will be on hand to answer questions and direct attendees to resources; the board is focused on highlighting how qualified taxpayers can access free tax preparation services, like those announced by Governor Hochul and the IRS earlier this week for New Yorkers.

The Tax Town Hall meeting will take place on Wednesday, March 20, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Crown Heights branch of the Brooklyn Public Library; attendance is free to the public, although seating is available first-come first-served.

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NYC HALF MARATHON ON SUNDAY

CITYWIDE — THE UNITED AIRLINES NYC HALF MARATHON, ORGANIZED BY the New York Road Runners, will course through Brooklyn to Manhattan this Sunday, reports Gothamist, kicking off in Prospect Park at 7 a.m., with the finish line in Central Park. Fans can cheer runners on from the sidelines or watch online with ABC News, ESPN+ or NYRR’s social media. Some Brooklyn streets will be closed to accommodate the racers: the main route will be down Flatbush Avenue from Prospect Park to the upper roadway of the Manhattan Bridge, and is expected to be clear by noon; traffic down some intersecting streets will also be blocked until the afternoon.

A full list of street closures can be found on the race’s page on the NYRR website under “More Race Information.”

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PATIENTS GIVE CITY HOSPITAL SYSTEM’S
PLANT-BASED MEALS A 90% RATING

CITYWIDE — MORE THAN 1.2 MILLION PLANT-BASED MEALS HAVE BEEN SERVED AT NYC Health + Hospitals in partnership with Sodexo. This is a milestone in the health system’s program since it was launched in March 2022. During the program’s first calendar year, NYC Health + Hospitals served over 783,000 plant-based from-scratch meals to its patients, with the food prepared at its Culinary Center in Brooklyn. The culinary team includes Food Service Associates at each hospital who take the patient’s food order, educate them about the flavor and nutrition of the day’s plant-based options, and gather patient feedback about the meal. Patients who ate plant-based meals at NYC Health + Hospitals reported a satisfaction rate of over 90%.

Scientific research has shown that plant-based eating patterns are linked to significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and certain cancers. The plant-based meals served in 2023 led to a reduction in carbon emissions of 36% and a cost savings of 59 cents per meal.

A chef at NYC Health + Hospitals’ Culinary Center prepares jerk mushrooms, collard greens, and sweet plantains, a new dish coming to the menu for patients.
Photo courtesy NYC Health + Hospitals

Kabocha Squash Curry & Lima Bean Dill Rice, with a Caribbean curry sauce featuring coconut milk, apple, banana, kabocha squash, and red pearl onions, is one of the plant-based dishes served to patients at NYC Health + Hospitals.
Photo courtesy NYC Health + Hospitals

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FDA ANNOUNCES RECALL OF CASHEWS
IN CANS AFFIXED WITH WRONG LABELS

NATIONWIDE — INCORRECT PRODUCT LABELS ON A POPULAR NUT SNACK HAVE PROMPTED A VOLUNTARY RECALL OF GREAT VALUE BRAND HONEY ROASTED CASHEWS that were sold at Walmart stores in New York and throughout the U.S., the Food & Drug Administration announced this week. Producer John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc. is recalling a limited amount of 8.25 oz Great Value Honey Roasted Cashews, for possible undeclared coconut and milk. The recall was initiated after a consumer found coconut cashews within a container labeled as honey roasted cashews. An investigation identified that a limited number of incorrect Honey Roasted Cashew labels were applied to the plastic cans of coconut cashews during the manufacturing process. The impacted packages have brand labels Great Value Honey Roasted Cashews, with a best-by date of Jul 08 2025 GH2 printed on the bottom of the 8.25 oz can with UPC: 078742133348.

Although no illnesses have been reported, consumers with allergies to coconut or milk could experience serious or life-threatening reactions by eating the recalled product.

Some Great Value cashew cans with coconut had labels misidentifying the product.
Photo courtesy FDA

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SPECIAL TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT PATROL
QUEUED UP FOR ST. PATRICK’S DAY WEEKEND

STATEWIDE — LOCAL AND STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT WILL HAVE SPECIAL PATROLS IN PLACE to combat alcoholic-impaired and reckless driving during one of the biggest drinking weekends of the year. March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day, which this year falls on a Sunday. Although it’s a religious holiday commemorating the 4th-5th century missionary to Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day is often celebrated with parties and liquor as well as other Celtic traditions. The traffic enforcement detail, one of several that the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee funds annually, will run from Friday, March 15, through Sunday, March 17. Drivers can expect to see increased DWI patrols and sobriety checkpoints, and law enforcement’s ticketing of distracted drivers who are using handheld electronic devices during this enforcement period.

New York State Police will also conduct checks at retail establishments targeting underage drinking and unlawful sales to minors during the campaign.

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MAIMONIDES MEDICAL CENTER HOSTS
COLORECTAL HEALTH AWARENESS PROGRAM

BOROUGH PARK — A 12-FOOT INFLATABLE COLON WILL GREET ATTENDEES AT A COLORECTAL AWARENESS EVENT THAT MAIMONIDES MEDICAL CENTER is hosting next Thursday, March 21, from 1-3 p.m. in the hospital’s main lobby (4802 10th Ave.). The Maimonides Cancer Screening Program is organizing this free public event to educate the public about colorectal cancer, which is now the second-leading cause of cancer death in New York City, and to encourage people to get screened and learn how to protect their colorectal health. The inflatable colon will give program attendees a unique opportunity to walk through and learn about different aspects of colon health and colorectal cancer.

Experts will be on hand to answer questions and provide valuable information on when and how to get a colonoscopy, risk factors, prevention strategies, and available treatment options.

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BROOKLYN’S FREIGHT CORRIDOR SLATED FOR FEDERAL ZERO-EMISSION INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADE

CITYWIDE — BROOKLYN’S INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS, BRIDGES and FREIGHT HUB WILL PLAY A MAJOR ROLE in the Biden-Harris administration’s plan to deploy zero-emission infrastructure for trucks along key freight corridors nationwide, according to the White House. The infrastructure will provide “expansive and convenient access to electric vehicle charging and hydrogen refueling along freight corridors, at intermodal freight facilities, and high-usage ports” by 2040. The Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE), Gowanus Expressway, Red Hook Container Terminal, Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, Verrazano Bridge and 39th Street are on the Federal Highway Administration’s list of National EV Freight Corridors.

The zero-emission infrastructure will be phased in: Phase 1 will establish hubs (by 2027); Phase 2 will connect corridors (by 2030); Phase 3 will expand networks (by 2035); and Phase 4 will complete the network (by 2040). The National Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Strategy was developed by the Depts. of Energy and Transportation along with the EPA and released March 12.

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FIGHT AGAINST SHELTER MOUNTS
AS ELECTED OFFICIALS PLAN RALLY

GRAVESEND — OPPOSITION TO A PROPOSED HOMELESS SHELTER ON 86TH STREET IS MOUNTING, SAYS STATE ASSEMBLYMEMBER WILLIAM COLTON (D-47) who is organizing a rally and motorcade for this Saturday, March 16. Colton and co-organizer Councilmember Susan Zhung, who represent largely the same area encompassing Bath Beach Bensonhurst, Gravesend and Dyker Heights, expect that thousands of people and hundreds of cars will participate in the protest. The shelter’s developer, Tejpal Sandhu of 86th Street NY LLC, has reportedly filed papers with the city’s Department of Buildings to construct a 32-room hotel at 2501 86th Street, with an attached community facility that will house 150 single men, many of whom struggle with addiction or mental health issues. However, Colton asserts that the project will not help homeless persons. “Our taxpayer dollars should be spent to construct permanent affordable housing and to provide necessary services, not to enrich greedy developers, he said.

A petition against the shelter has already amassed 28,000 signatures online and 20,000 signatures on paper.

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BP REYNOSO’S SOTB: ASYLUM HELP CENTER, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN & OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

BROOKLYN — 2023 WAS A BIG YEAR FOR BROOKLYN, Borough President Antonio Reynoso said in his second State of the Borough Speech Wednesday night. Reynoso touted his initiative to develop a Comprehensive Plan for Brooklyn — a guiding document aimed at providing residents “with everything they need to be healthy, housed and supported.” In light of the city’s hard times, the BP’s office will focus on “providing our communities with real, meaningful aid,” and restoring Borough Hall as a service center, Reynoso said. He noted that his constituent services team answered 3,600 cases this past year, and announced that Borough Hall has begun serving as a satellite center to help up to 180 undocumented people a week apply for work authorizations.

A redesign of Columbus Park, combatting Central Brooklyn’s deed-theft problem and bringing waterborne freight back to Brooklyn are other projects Reynoso is fostering. This year’s funds will go towards neglected parks, small businesses in Brownsville, public schools and CUNY, electric ambulances for Hatzoloh, 69 NYCHA tenant associations, business counseling and more.

Brooklyn BP Antonio Reynoso delivered his second State of the Union speech Wednesday night, March 13.
Photo: Jordi-Lakeem Foste

Left to right: Manhattan BP Mark Levine, U.S. Rep. Nydia Velazquez, Brooklyn BP Antonio Reynoso, Queens BP Donovan Richards.
Photo: Jordi-Lakeem Foster

Marty Maher, Brooklyn Parks Commissioner, (left) attended BP Antonio Reynoso’s State of the Union Speech on Wednesday, March 13.
Photo: Jordi-Lakeem Foster

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SENATE MAJORITY LEADER SCHUMER URGES ISRAEL
TO ELECT LEADERS WITH VISION FOR PEACE

CAPITOL HILL — SENATE MAJORITY LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER, the first Jewish majority leader in the Senate, the highest-ranking Jewish official in the U.S and a Brooklyn native, on March 14, 2024, urged longtime U.S. ally Israel to hold new elections. Believing that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has “lost his way” amid the Israeli bombardment of Gaza and a worsening humanitarian crisis there, Schumer delivered a strong rebuke to Netanyahu, calling him an obstacle to peace. Although Schumer said the U.S. cannot tell Israelis how to vote, he declared on the Senate floor that the ”Israeli people are being stifled right now by a governing vision that is stuck in the past.”

Schumer also laid blame both on Israel’s religious far-right and on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, saying that until all these leaders are out of the picture, “there will never be peace in Israel and Gaza and the West Bank.”

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‘IFTAR-ON-THE-GO’ EVENTS PROVIDE
MEALS TO NEEDY FAMILIES DURING RAMADAN

BATH BEACH AND CITYWIDE — MORE THAN 8,500 HALAL MEALS ARE AVAILABLE at grab-and-go sites across the five boroughs during Ramadan, thanks to a partnership with City Comptroller Brad Lander, Islamic Relief USA and seven local organizations. They are distributing Iftar meals to families in need during the month of Ramadan through weekly “Iftar on the Go” events, with the boxed meals available on a first-come-first-serve basis as supplies last. Here in Brooklyn, the Muslim American Society Youth Center at 1933 Bath Avenue is hosting the giveaways on Sundays, March 17, 24, 31 and April 7, from 4:30 p.m. and as supplies last. City Council Member Justin Brannan (D-47) is a co-sponsor of this event, along with the City Comptroller’s Office, the Muslim American Society-New York (as listed on the Brooklyn flyer) and Islamic Relief USA.

“Ramadan is a month of service and spiritual development that brings Muslim communities together,” said Comptroller Brad Lander, who points out that food pantries have seen a 69% increase in visits by children since 2019.

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CITY HARVEST DELIVERS HALAL FOOD
FOR BROOKLYNITES OBSERVING RAMADAN

FLATBUSH — CITY HARVEST AND THE COUNCIL OF PEOPLES ORGANIZATION (COPO) based in Flatbush teamed up this month to help feed the community during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. City Harvest, New York’s first and largest food rescue organization, through its halal food program, delivered 10 pallets of dried dates and rice flour to COPO and five other agencies. AKC Commodities Inc. made this delivery possible by donating 30,360 pounds of dried dates — which is the customary first food that Muslims eat at the conclusion of each day’s fast. The organization works to ensure that Muslim New Yorkers facing food insecurity across the city can find culturally appropriate ingredients throughout Ramadan (readers can visit City Harvest online to find a local pantry).

The Council of Peoples Organization (COPO) was founded right after 9/11 to counter anti-Muslim hatred and misperceptions about Islam. The not-for-profit COPO has expanded to serve the South Asian community providing multiple services.

A City Harvest employee delivers boxes to COPO’s Coney Island Ave. headquarters.
Photo: Paul Frangipane/courtesy of City Harvest

COPO Founder and CEO Mohmmad Razvi (left) thanks the City Harvest employee.
Photo: Paul Frangipane/courtesy of City Harvest

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WIND POWER CO. EQUINOR GETS OK TO CONNECT TO NYC POWER GRID IN BK

SUNSET PARK/GOWANUS — WIND POWER COMPANY EQUINOR has received permission from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to connect its offshore wind project to the New York City electric transmission system, the company announced Wednesday. FERC’s approval allows Empire Wind 1 to connect through the Sunset Park Onshore Substation at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, and from there via a cable to the electrical grid at Con Edison’s Gowanus substation, delivering 810 megawatts of renewable power.

The 73-acre South Brooklyn Marine Terminal is set to transform into one of the nation’s largest dedicated port facilities for offshore wind in the U.S., according to Equinor. The facility will support the staging and assembly of offshore wind turbine components for Empire Wind.

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AI-GENERATED ‘UGLY BEAUTIES’ ON DISPLAY IN DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN

DOWNTOWN — ‘UGLY BEAUTIES,’ AN AI-GENERATED ARTWORK by artist Curry J. Hackett featuring images of Black people immersed in so-called “weeds,” is on display at The Plaza at 300 Ashland. Commissioned by Downtown Brooklyn Partnership with support from Two Trees Management Co. and Van Alen Institute, Ugly Beauties features a panoramic display of images that prompt viewers to consider society’s perception of beauty and belonging, and “captures the spirit of the neighborhood,” said DBP’s President Regina Myer.

“With residents, shoppers, workers, diners, and other visitors rushing around the neighborhood, we hope this piece will impart a moment of reflection and help Brooklynites to realize the beauty all around them,” Myer said. “Ugly Beauties” will be on view until May 2, 2024.

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BROOKLYN JAIL CONSTRUCTION VIRTUAL PUBLIC MEETING MARCH 26

BOERUM HILL — A PUBLIC MEETING WITH THE DESIGN-BUILDER for the Brooklyn Borough-Based Jail Facility, planned for Atlantic Avenue and State Street in Boerum Hill, will take place online on Tuesday, March 26, from 6-7 p.m., according to the Cobble Hill Association. The builder will present an overview of the project’s construction approach, construction schedule and milestones, environmental monitoring plan and upcoming construction activities. RSVP online.

The design of the planned $3 billion Brooklyn Detention Center at 275 Atlantic Ave. has changed since an agreement was hammered out in 2019 — to the detriment of both the community and the inmates, residents and officials say.

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MISSING GIRL IN SHEEPSHEAD BAY

SHEEPSHEAD BAY – POLICE ARE ASKING THE PUBLIC FOR HELP IN FINDING MISSING teen Polina Kovalevska, age 14, who was last seen leaving her residence near the Sheepshead Bay B/Q station on the night of Monday, March 11. Polina is described as approximately 5’3” and 125 pounds, with a light complexion and brown hair, and was last seen wearing a gray hooded sweater, black sweatpants and white shoes.

Anyone with information in regard to 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 at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (Twitter) @NYPDTips.

Missing girl Polina Kovalevska. All calls are strictly confidential.

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TOWN HALL MEETING ON SUNY DOWNSTATE

FLATBUSH – COMMUNITY BOARDS 9 AND 13 ARE HOSTING A JOINT TOWN HALL meeting on Monday to discuss the future of SUNY Downstate hospital, which has been struggling with ongoing budget issues and building repair needs. After Governor Hochul in January directed the university system to create a “transformation plan” to rehabilitate the struggling hospital, union leaders for staff at Downstate have warned that SUNY’s proposal would see crucial departments like its mental health program relocated to other facilities, potentially leading to “downsizing” in the form of job losses and the elimination of residency placements for medical students, as well as the conversion of some of the campus to other uses like housing. Advocates worry that the plan is a way to jumpstart the closure of yet another Brooklyn hospital.

The town hall meeting will take place on Monday, March 18 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the High School for Public Service.

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NEW APARTMENT TOWER PLANNED FOR RED HOOK

RED HOOK – A MAJOR NEW RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT IS PLANNED for the site of a current Red Hook strip mall, reports Crain’s New York Business: developer Express Builders has filed plans to build an 8-story-tall, 227,000-square-foot tower at 498 Columbia Street, offering 371 apartments and community space on the ground floor. The tower is part of a proposal for the site that would see two more similar buildings erected on the grounds of the current one-story commercial building, as well as a landscaped green area; the site is part of the state’s Brownfield Cleanup Program, and decontamination efforts are set to begin this spring.

Development in Red Hook could become more attractive after this week’s passage by the City Council of the Our Air Our Water Act, which requires the large cruise ships that dock at the neighborhood’s terminal to connect to the electrical grid instead of burning diesel fuel, meaning local air pollution will be significantly reduced.

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BOEING MANAGER TURNED WHISTLEBLOWER FOUND DEAD OF GUNSHOT WOUND DURING HEARINGS ON COMPANY’S SAFETY ISSUES

CHARLESTON, SC — IN THE LATEST WOE FOR THE AVIATION GIANT BOEING, A LONGTIME QUALITY CONTROL MANAGER TURNED WHISTLEBLOWER was found dead in his truck over the weekend in Charleston, South Carolina, where he was testifying on safety concerns, reports the British Broadcasting Corporation. John Barnett, a 30-year Boeing employee who had worked at the North Charleston plant building the 787 Dreamliner, had told the BBC five years ago that assembly-line workers were under such pressure they short-shifted safety protocol by deliberately fitting sub-standard parts to aircraft on the production line. Barnett had also uncovered serious problems with the oxygen systems, potentially causing them to malfunction in an emergency. Although Boeing had denied Barnett’s assertions, a 2017 review by the Federal Aviation Administration upheld some of Mr. Barnett’s concerns and ordered Boeing to take corrective actions.

Authorities told the BBC that Barnett died of a “self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.” On the day of his death, he had been scheduled for questioning in an ongoing legal dispute he had initiated. Investigators are working on the case.

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WATER SHUTOFFS SCHEDULED FOR PARTS OF CROWN HEIGHTS

CROWN HEIGHTS — TEMPORARY WATER SHUTDOWN ADVISORIES WERE POSTED IN PARTS OF CROWN HEIGHTS WITH LITTLE NOTICE, reports Brooklyn Community Board 9. District Manager Dante Arnwine sent a dispatch to the neighborhood on Tuesday evening, March 12 upon learning of a water service interruption scheduled for Wednesday morning, March 13 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for buildings on the south side of President Street between Kingston and Troy avenues; and buildings on both sides of the street on Albany Avenue between Eastern Parkway and President St. Water shutoffs on Thursday, March 14, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. affect buildings on the north side of President St. between Kingston and Albany avenues; on Friday, March 15, from 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. in buildings on both sides of Kingston Avenue between President and Union streets, and on Monday, March 18, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in buildings on both sides of Albany Avenue between President and Crown streets.

The water shutdown is necessary to test the functionality of the existing water main valves, according to the NYC Department of Design and Construction’s posted advisories.

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EVICTION OF LONG-ESTABLISHED FOOD PANTRY ANGERS VOLUNTEERS, COMMUNITY

PARK SLOPE — MEMBERS OF A COMBINED ROMAN CATHOLIC PARISH IN PARK SLOPE ARE PROTESTING THE CLOSURE AND EVICTION OF THE HELPING HANDS FOOD PANTRY, as well as other ministries that serve needy and ill persons in their community. Father Frank Tumino, who was assigned to the linked parishes of St. Augustine-St. Francis Xavier in 2021 to bolster them during the pandemic, informed Helping Hands on Feb. 20 that its last day would be Saturday, March 16. Other long-established ministries, including a monthly dinner for AIDS patients and their families and a Christmas party for children of incarcerated persons, were also discontinued for some complicated reasons. (See THE CITY story, elsewhere in this edition.)

Diocesan spokesman John Quaglione in a statement to THE CITY credited Fr. Tumino (who had a Wall Street banking career background) with increasing attendance at the combined parishes. However, several of the ousted ministries’ volunteers are parishioners who assert that Fr. Tumino has violated the Gospel commandments to help the needy.

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STATE HEALTH DEPT. REQUIRES SCREENINGS FOR HEPATITIS C STARTING IN MAY

STATEWIDE — TRYING TO REVERSE A NATIONWIDE SPIKE IN HEPATITIS C INFECTIONS AMONG ADULTS OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE, The NY State Department of Health will require everyone over 18 with a risk to be offered a screening test, starting on May 3. These new requirements align New York State with the current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention HCV screening recommendations. Individuals younger than 18 must also be offered a Hepatitis C screening if evidence or indication of risk activity exists. If a person’s Hepatitis C screening test is reactive, then a Hepatitis C ribonucleic acid test (RNA) must also be performed on the same specimen, or a second specimen collected at the same time as the initial hepatitis C screening test specimen, to confirm the diagnosis of current infection.

The Department of Health reports that the number of new hepatitis C infections has doubled since 2014.

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BROOKLYN HOSPITAL CENTER, CLEARWAY HEALTH PARTNER ON MEETING NEW HEPATITIS SCREENING RULES

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — THE BROOKLYN HOSPITAL CENTER HAS PARTNERED WITH CLEARWAY HEALTH to comply with the State Department of Health’s new requirements on Hepatitis C screenings. Their partnership involves developing a screening and treatment program through their specialty pharmacy that will launch in May. The new program at The Brooklyn Hospital Center includes improved testing protocols, clinical workflows, patient education, and treatment plans for the emergency department, primary care, and maternal and fetal medicine. TBHC and Clearway also emphasize the importance of providing patients with getting the care and administrative help they need in obtaining prior authorizations from the patient’s health plan, finding vouchers and coupons, and ensuring patients comply with their medications.

HCV treatment requires specialty medication, and patients often encounter affordability obstacles with the specialty medications that HCV treatment requires. In some cases, patients’ health plans exclude these medicines from coverage tiers or assign high co-pays.

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HOUSE VOTES 352-65 ON BILL BANNING TIKTOK, AS BROOKLYN LEADERS RAISE FREE-SPEECH CONCERNS

CAPITOL HILL — AMERICA’S 150 MILLION USERS OF TIKTOK, INCLUDING TOP INFLUENCERS IN BROOKLYN, could lose access to the video-sharing app now that the U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation to ban the service, reports the Daily News. The House on Wednesday, March 13, voted 352-65 to pass the bill, with a rare bipartisan support on this divisive issue. The bill’s language would ban the popular video-sharing app unless its Chinese owner, ByteDance, divests in the company. American politicians have called TikTok a national security threat because they claim the Chinese government could gain access to users’ data, particularly through laws in China that require compliance with certain investigations.

However, the bill has its detractors, who claim that TikTok helped them become entrepreneurs. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who’s from Brooklyn, did not commit to bringing the bill into the upper chamber, and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-11) said she voted for the ban. And Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-12), whose district formerly included Brooklyn, cited First Amendment issues for constituents who would lose the service.

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ALL BUT ONE BROOKLYN CONGRESSMEMBERS VOTE YES ON BILL REQUIRING FOREIGN DIVESTMENT FROM TIKTOK

CAPITOL HILL — THE BILL TO BAN TIKTOK GOT ‘YEA’ VOTES FROM ALL BUT ONE OF BROOKLYN’S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION on Wednesday, according to the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives’ website. House Democratic (Minority) Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-8), and Reps. Yvette Clarke (D-9), Dan Goldman (D-10) and Nicole Malliotakis (R-11), voted for the bill. Rep. Malliotakis, issuing a statement on the more formally-named Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, explained that the bill doesn’t actually ban the app but rather forces ByteDance, which, she asserts is controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, to divest from TikTok. “Currently, there are no safeguards on ByteDance to protect personal data, meaning the company can collect passwords, contacts, photos, texts, location and biometric data about our children and freely share it with the CCP,” she said.

The sole Brooklyn Congressmember to vote “nay” on the bill was Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-7/Northern Brooklyn and Queens) who, as of press time, had not yet released a statement regarding her decision.

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GREEN-WOOD CEMETERY’S PRESIDENT WILL RECEIVE 2024 PILLAR OF NY AWARD

GREENWOOD HEIGHTS — RICHARD J. MOYLAN, PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL LANDMARK GREEN-WOOD CEMETERY, WILL BE HONORED Thursday, March 14, at the 2024 Pillar of New York Awards. The Preservation League of New York State presents the Pillar of New York Awards to those who have taken extraordinary action to protect, preserve and promote New York’s artistic and architectural heritage. Moylan, who has worked at The Green-Wood Cemetery for more than 50 years and who has served as president since 1986, transformed Green-Wood into a cultural center within its community by prioritizing education, arts programming, environmental initiatives, and historic preservation, setting a new standard for cemeteries across the country. Under Moylan’s leadership, the cemetery gained National Historic Landmark status in 2006. Recently, Green-Wood embarked on a bold endeavor to create a one-of-a-kind Education and Welcome Center to serve its community.

Moylan is a recipient of the Fine Arts Federation’s highest honor and the 2016 Place Maker award of the Foundation for Landscape Studies.