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NY ATTORNEY GENERAL FILES NEW AMICUS BRIEF
TO SAFEGUARD EMERGENCY ABORTION CARE

NATIONWIDE — A MULTI-STATE COALITION OF 24 ATTORNEYS GENERAL IS FIGHTING TO SAFEGUARD AMERICANS’ ACCESS to abortion care during medical emergencies. NY Attorney General Letitia James, leading the coalition, has filed an amicus brief with the United States Supreme Court in Idaho v. U.S. and Moyle v. U.S., urging the court to maintain a preliminary injunction that required Idaho hospitals to provide emergency abortion care consistent with the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), which covers all U.S. hospitals with emergency departments that participate in Medicare. The EMTALA requires emergency rooms to provide all patients who have emergency medical conditions with the treatment required, including administering abortion care, in order to stabilize a patient’s condition.

However, the near-total ban in Idaho criminalizes abortion care even when a pregnant patient could otherwise die or experience serious harm to her health. Two other amicus briefs had already been filed in Idaho since 2022, and another in Texas for its law.

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DEVELOPER OF BROOKLYN TOWER DEFAULTS ON LOAN

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — DEVELOPER MICHAEL STERN OF THE NEW BROOKLYN TOWER, which last summer completed work on its Gothic facade, has defaulted on loans taken to finance the building’s construction, reports the Real Deal, leading lender Silverstein Capital Partners to schedule a foreclosure auction for its interests in the building this June. Silverstein had issued a $240 million loan to Stern in 2019, and this year purchased additional debt in the building from Otera Capital; Stern last year attempted to sell off part of the building, but failed to secure any buyers.

A memo issued by property auctioneer JLL on Wednesday specifies that the sale will be for the entirety of the holding company that owns the tower.

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FDA WARNS OF IMPELLA PUMP DANGERS
THAT COULD RUPTURE HEART VENTRICLE

NATIONWIDE — THE U.S. FOOD & DRUG ADMINISTRATION, WHICH FOR THE THIRD TIME HAS HAD TO ACT ON IMPELLA DEVICES, has issued its alert about a left-side blood pump that has caused 49 deaths and more than 100 injuries, according to the agency and several news reports on Friday, yet the devices will remain in use. Abiomed is recalling its Impella Left Sided Blood Pumps because the pump catheter may perforate (cut) the wall of the heart’s left ventricle in the heart. Although the use of affected Impella pumps (Impella 2.5; Impella CP; Impella CP with SmartAssist; Impella 5.0; Impella 5.5 with SmartAssist; Impella LD) may cause serious adverse health consequences, including left ventricle perforation or free wall rupture, hypertension, lack of blood flow, and death, the device is permitted to stay in use.

The FDA blamed the maker Abiomed for not notifying them publicly when the defect was found more than two years ago, but instructed that the product is not being removed from patients in whom it has been inserted. Instead, new precautionary instructions have been issued on inserting the catheter pumps.

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OFFICIALS: FREE BROOKLYN FERRY TO GOVERNORS ISLAND RUNNING OUT OF FUNDS

BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK — BROOKLYN OFFICIALS AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS GATHERED AT PIER 6 IN BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK on Friday to call for funding for Brooklyn ferry service to Governors Island in this year’s state budget. Without support from the state, the Trust for Governors Island only has enough funding to offer ferry service from Memorial Day through the end of June this year, and no funding at all to run it in Fiscal Year 2025. State Sen. Andrew Gounardes successfully fought to include $625,000 for the ferry service in the Senate One-House Budget Resolution. On Friday, Gounardes, Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon and Councilmember Lincoln Restler asked the state legislature and Gov. Kathy Hochul to include this funding in the final state budget.

Five of the six most-represented ZIP codes in citywide Governors Island Ferry ridership come from Brooklyn, the officials said in a release. The Island features over 120 acres of open space, activities for kids, free public art and cultural programming, and environmental and educational offerings for all ages.

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BROOKLYN POLS BRING HOME THE BACON FOR BROOKLYN VIA EARMARKS

BOROUGHWIDE — THE RECENTLY FINALIZED FEDERAL BUDGET contains more than $500 million for hundreds of community projects (i.e. “earmarks”) across New York state, according to Spectrum News NY1. An analysis by the Brooklyn Eagle found that Brooklyn officials brought home the bacon for projects benefiting the borough via earmarks: Rep. Hakeem Jeffries secured funding for the Billion Oyster Project site in Paerdegat Basin and for security upgrades at a Brooklyn NYCHA project. Rep. Yvette Clarke received funds for anti-violence programs in East Flatbush, for the 67th and 77th Precinct Clergy Councils and the YMCA. Rep. Nydia Velazquez funded a crime reduction program at Boricua College, youth initiative programs and fresh start programs for previously incarcerated individuals. The Brooklyn D.A.’s Office received millions for a mental health program. Schumer brought in money for NYPS’s youth boxing program in Brooklyn.

The full list of appropriations can be found on the House website.

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STATE MONUMENTS TO BE LIT TONIGHT
HONORING  VIETNAM WAR VETERANS

GREENPOINT AND BROOKLYN WATERFRONT — THE KOSCIUSZKO BRIDGE, CONNECTING NORTHERN BROOKLYN AND QUEENS, AND THE ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER BUILDING ARE AMONG MORE THAN A DOZEN TO BE ILLUMINATED IN GREEN, YELLOW AND RED on Friday night, March 29, to honor Vietnam Veterans in New York State. Governor Kathy Hochul on Friday issued a proclamation declaring March 29, 2024, as Vietnam Veterans Day in New York State, honoring the bravery and sacrifice of our state and nation’s Vietnam Veterans and marking 51 years from the date that the final American combat troops departed the Republic of Vietnam. Landmarks across the state will be illuminated in the vibrant colors of the Vietnam Service Medal, symbolizing the valor of those who served during this historic period. The green, yellow, and red hues represent the courageous service members who served on the ground in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, or in the surrounding waters and airspace.

The Brooklyn Eagle’s daily Milestones column for today provides more background on the departure of soldiers and POWs from Vietnam.

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BROOKLYN ARTIST ROBERT MOSKOWITZ DIES, 88,
CREATED NOW-ICONIC SKYSCRAPER PAINTINGS

MANHATTAN — BROOKLYN-BORN ABSTRACT ARTIST AND PAINTER ROBERT MOSKOWITZ, WHO INTERPRETED NEW YORK CITY’S SKYLINE WITH A UNIQUE VISION, died last Sunday, March 24, in Manhattan, at age 88, reports New York Times arts writer Will Heinrich. Born as Robert Stephen Moskowitz on June 20, 1935, he had to support his siblings starting at age 12 or 13 after his father abandoned the family and his mother was absent for long stretches to work. His sister’s employment with an engineering company inspired him to attend Mechanics Institute to become a draftsman. Securing a job at the Sperry Gyroscope in Lake Success enabled Moskowitz in turn to study at Pratt Institute in Clinton Hill, as a student of Adolph Gottlieb and Robert Richen, which transformed his life. Inspired by a marriage of collage and painting, Moskowitz created his distinctive style, after finding a particularly unusual window shade that he glued to a canvas. His works were exhibited at the 1961 Museum of Modern Art show “The Art of Assemblage.” He later painted the Empire State Building, the Flatiron Building and the World Trade Center.

However, after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, the buildings that had given him such joy to paint became somber and traumatic to the point where he sought new themes for his art.

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CONEY ISLAND NATIVE LOUIS GOSSETT, JR. DIES, 87,
STARTED ACTING CAREER IN HS

CONEY ISLAND AND LOS ANGELES — LOUIS GOSSETT, JR., THE BROOKLYN-BORN FIRST BLACK MAN TO WIN an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, died on Thursday night, according to several news reports. Born in Coney Island on May 27, 1936, Gossett earned his first acting credit in his Brooklyn high school’s production of “You Can’t Take It with You” after an injury sidelined him from his basketball team. After recovering, he would prove successful at both basketball and acting and made his Broadway debut at age 17 — a year before graduating from high school after an English teacher encouraged him to audition. He later won an Emmy for the TV miniseries “Roots,” and, in 1983, he won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as a stern drill sergeant in “An Officer and a Gentleman.” Having experienced police stop-and-frisks even after gaining fame and wealth, Gossett later established the Eracism Foundation, working to create a world without racism.

As an alumnus and first Black president of the Mark Twain Intermediate School in Brooklyn, Gossett gave a talk to students there in 2015 and was inducted into their Hall of Fame, according to the Eracism Foundation’s website.

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NYC WILL TEST CONTROVERSIAL GUN DETECTION TECH IN SUBWAYS

CITYWIDE — NYC WILL SOON BEGIN TESTING CONTROVERSIAL TECHNOLOGY DESIGNED TO  DETECT WEAPONS carried by subway riders, Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD Commish Edward Caban announced Thursday. NYPD has started the clock on a mandatory 90-day waiting period before new technology can be tested and used. The Legal Aid Society immediately hit back against the surveillance plan, calling the “dystopian” gun detection systems costly, with the potential for triggering false alarms leading to panic or the death of innocent riders.

“This administration’s headstrong reliance on technology as a panacea to further public safety is misguided, costly, and creates significant invasions of privacy,” said Legal Aid’s digital forensics expert Jerome Greco, who urged New Yorkers to voice their concerns. “New York City should not serve as a testing ground for surveillance corporations; the public has not consented to be a part of these experiments.”

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EGG HUNTS IN BROOKLYN & GOVERNORS ISLAND THIS SATURDAY

BROOKLYN/GOVERNORS ISLAND — THE BROOKLYN HEIGHTS ASSOCIATION’S ANNUAL SPRING EGG HUNT takes place at Pierrepont Playground on Saturday, March 30, starting at 11 a.m. sharp. BHA asks that each child take only three eggs so there is plenty to share. There will also be a bake sale and plenty of adorable photo ops. Another fun and free egg hunt takes place at ENY Oasis Community Garden at 2539 Pitkin Ave. on Saturday from 1-2 p.m. Free but register online with the Parks Department. In addition, the Easter bunny will be appearing at Atlantic Terminal Mall from 12:30-1 p.m., where a free hip hop class (get it?) from Dancewave will be available for everyone who wants to dance like a bunny.

A giant egg hunt also takes place on Governors Island on Saturday, with 50,000 candy-filled eggs spread across several areas, plus a scavenger hunt (and an additional hunt for children ages 5 and under). Events take place from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. in Colonels Row. Reserve ferry tickets in advance as it is sure to be crowded, Governors Island advises on its website.

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FOUR MEN PLEAD GUILTY TO CONSPIRING TO TRAFFIC FIREARMS INTO BROOKLYN

DOWNTOWN — FOUR MEN HAVE PLEADED GUILTY to conspiring to traffic more than 50 semi-automatic handguns, ghost guns and guns with defaced serial numbers into Brooklyn, according to Breon Peace, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. Two of the defendants — David McCann, 29, and Calvin Tabron, 26 — pleaded guilty Thursday at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn before U.S. District Judge William F. Kuntz, II. McCann also pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute fentanyl. Co-defendants Raymond Minaya, 27, and Tajhai Jones, 29, pleaded guilty to conspiring to traffic firearms earlier this month. 

The defendants brought the arms in from Virginia and conducted their sales to undercover agents in broad daylight in a public park, in shopping center parking lots, and in vehicles in and around the New York City Housing Authority’s Breukelen Houses complex in Canarsie — blocks away from a preschool and grade school, Peace said.

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 IN MEMORIAM: FORMER SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN DIES AT 82, WAS PANELIST AT 2011 BROOKLYN BOOK FESTIVAL 

MANHATTAN — FORMER U.S. SENATOR JOE LIEBERMAN, WHO  BECAME THE  FIRST JEWISH VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, DIED  IN MANHATTAN after complications from a fall on Wednesday, March 27, at age 82, according to several news reports. First elected to the U.S. Senate in 1988 after having held other offices, Lieberman switched his party affiliation from Democrat to Independent after losing the 2006 primary in Connecticut but then won the general election that year and continued to caucus with Democrats. An observant Jew and staunch defender of Israel, Lieberman in 2011 wrote “The Gift of Rest: Rediscovering the Beauty of the Sabbath” (Howard Books/Simon & Schuster). During the Brooklyn Book Festival that year, Sen. Lieberman participated in a panel discussion on the Sabbath, with Rabbi Joseph Potasnik and Pastor A.R. Bernard of the Christian Cultural Center.

Then-Borough President Marty Markowitz hosted the panel discussion at Borough Hall, where Sen. Lieberman explained that the need to save or protect a life — if such an emergency arises during Shabbat — takes precedence over observance.

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GOV. HOCHUL PROPOSES BUDGET DEADLINE EXTENSION TO PREVENT SCHEDULE CLASH WITH RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS 

STATEWIDE — THE STATE BUDGET DEADLINE MAY BE EXTENDED TO NEXT THURSDAY, APRIL 4, after Gov. Kathy Hochul expressed concern that in order to meet the standard annual April 1 budget deadline, lawmakers would have to work through the upcoming religious holiday weekend. Gov. Hochul on Thursday, March 28, said that she has been negotiating for weeks with the state legislature “on a budget that makes record investments for New Yorkers while putting the state on a fiscally stable path into the future,” and that a final budget agreement is “within reach.” But she recognizes “that many New Yorkers would like to spend the holiday weekend with family and loved ones.” 

The period of Thursday, March 28, through Sunday, March 31, marks the Easter Triduum, the most solemn and significant time of the Christian liturgical year. Gov. Hochul delivered a proposal on Thursday requesting the state legislature extend the deadline.

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 MAYOR URGES LIFTING OF DENSITY RATIO FOR NEW AFFORDABLE-HOUSING CONSTRUCTION 

CITYWIDE — THE LATEST NEW INITIATIVE FROM CITY HALL AIMS TO CREATE AFFORDABLE HOMES IN AREAS that many working-class New Yorkers cannot afford. Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday, March 28, urged the state legislature to lift the floor-to-area-ratio (FAR) cap that currently limits the number of new homes that can be built in certain high-demand areas of the city. The mayor also proposed a new zoning tool that will allow for even more density of residential buildings and simultaneously mandate the creation of permanently affordable housing across the city. Once the cap is lifted, the proposal would need City Council approval of the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity plan. New residential projects undergoing a rezoning could then benefit from this new tool — which would enable residential projects to build up to 15 or 18 times their lot size — and build significantly more housing on their site.

The administration’s proposal would also require new housing projects to build permanently affordable residences through Mandatory Inclusionary Housing.

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NY, NJ GOVERNORS PLEDGE ASSISTANCE WITH CARGO SUPPLY AFTER MD BRIDGE TRAGEDY

ALBANY AND TRENTON — FOLLOWING TUESDAY’S TRAGIC COLLAPSE OF THE FRANCIS SCOTT KEY BRIDGE IN BALTIMORE HARBOR, THE GOVERNORS OF NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY have jointly pledged their states’ support in minimizing supply chain disruptions. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday, March 28, issued a joint statement: “The tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore has touched every corner of the nation, and we are ready to support Governor Moore and the people of Maryland in any way. We have seen over the past several years that indefinite port closures can impact national and global supply chains, which hurt everyday consumers the hardest.” The governors affirmed that “The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey can take on additional cargo, and we have directed the Authority to further evaluate all available resources to minimize supply chain disruptions.”

As of Thursday, recovery workers pulled two bodies from the Patapsco River; six others are missing and presumed dead.

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 CORRECTIONS OFFICERS’ ASSOCIATION RATIFIES 3-YEAR-CONTRACT WITH NY STATE

STATEWIDE —  A THREE-YEAR LABOR AGREEMENT WITH THE NEW YORK STATE CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS & POLICE BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION, HAS BEEN RATIFIED, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Thursday, March 28. The agreement, which covers more than 17,000 members of the Security Services bargaining unit, and which lasts until March 31, 2026, won the approval of 73% of NYSCOPBA members who cast ballots. The ratified contract includes raises in each year of the agreement consistent with other recently negotiated agreements. In addition, the contract includes other increases in compensation such as a lump sum bonus and up to 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave. The contract also includes changes in the health insurance program that will encourage in-network employee utilization and help control health insurance costs.

The NYSCOPBA’s Security Services bargaining unit includes staff in roles of correction officers, correction sergeants, and secure hospital treatment assistants.

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AS AUTO SHOW LAUNCHES, GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES PLANNED INSTALLATION OF 100 FAST CHARGERS 

STATEWIDE — THE STATE PLANS TO INSTALL 100 NEW FAST CHARGERS HERE IN NYC AS THE 2024 NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW KICKS OFF, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on March 28. The NYC Dept. of Transportation and the New York Power Authority (NYPA) have partnered to build more than 100 new fast chargers within the city. This includes 76 high-speed chargers at thirteen new EVolve NY hubs, 20 fast chargers owned by the City and currently in design, and 12 chargers at LaGuardia Airport, with construction slated to begin next year. Most sites currently in design will be completed in 2025, with all online by 2026.

The International Auto Show, which runs March 29 through April 7 at the Javits Center, invites people to take a test ride in eight EV models on the Level 1 EV test track and to stop by the state’s Charge NY exhibit to learn about incentives for purchasing EVs and programs that support charger growth throughout New York.

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GREENE: ‘NOT RESPONSIBLE’ IF JEFFRIES WINS HOUSE SPEAKERSHIP

WASHINGTON — U.S. REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE ON TUESDAY DEFLECTED BLAME from conservative critics over speculation that ongoing G.O.P. infighting in Congress could see current House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries ascend to the Speaker of the House position despite the Republicans’ narrow majority, reports Politico. Greene last week filed a motion to kick current Speaker Mike Johnson from the top spot just months after the ouster of former speaker Kevin McCarthy, who was elected in January after days of debate, held the position for ten months and subsequently has left politics; in an interview with the Real America’s Voice channel as well as in posts on X (Twitter), Greene argued that she would not be responsible if her motion resulted in some colleagues voting with the Democrats to seat Jeffries to end the procedural paralysis, blaming instead “selfish Republicans” like McCarthy and departing Reps. Ken Buck and Mike Gallagher for quitting Congress.

After Gallagher resigns next month, Republicans will have a 217-213 majority in the House, meaning that just two G.O.P. members would need to cross the aisle for Democrats to be able to win votes.

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LONGTIME FLATBUSH BAKERY CLOSES

FLATBUSH — FLATBUSH INSTITUTION LORDS BAKERY, LOVED BY LOCALS FOR ITS red velvet cakes, abruptly shut its doors this week, reports Eater NY, shocking neighbors, who said the old-school shop has been an iconic part of the neighborhood for more than 40 years. Lords’ last day in business was Monday, when employees took carts of baked goods out onto the sidewalk to give them away for free; although its original owner once also owned the building, it was sold to a realty corporation in 2019, leading to speculation that the closure was related to rent hikes. 

The bakery on its Facebook page announced a GoFundMe that it says will help cover expenses; the Flatbush Nostrand Junction BID issued a warning that others may be running fraudulent fundraisers posing as the bakery, and advised donors to verify that they’re donating to the right campaign before giving money.

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MISSING BOY IN WILLIAMSBURG

WILLIAMSBURG — POLICE ARE SEARCHING FOR MISSING BOY Emanuel Rodriguez Dominguez, age 11, who was last seen at the corner of Keap Street and Broadway in Williamsburg on the afternoon of Monday, March 25. Emanuel is described as 5’2”, 100 to 120 pounds, with a medium complexion, black hair and brown eyes, and was last seen wearing a dark-colored jacket, khaki pants 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 Crime Stoppers website, or on X (Twitter) @NYPDTips.

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