What’s News, Breaking: Thursday, April 25, 2024

April 25, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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NEW AIRLINE RULES ON PASSENGER REFUNDS
CODIFY MEANING OF ‘SIGNIFICANT DELAY’

NATIONWIDE — AIRLINES SOON MUST COMPLY with a set of finalized new rules, to be implemented over the next two years, that require them to automatically issue cash refunds for things like delayed flights and to more clearly disclose fees for baggage or canceling a reservation. The Transportation Department said airlines will be required to provide automatic cash refunds within a few days for canceled flights and “significant” delays. The administration now defines “a significant delay as lasting at least three hours for domestic flights and six hours for international ones, thus removing the airline industry’ wiggle room” on defining delay lengths. The rule will also apply to refunds of checked-bag fees if the bag isn’t delivered within 12 hours for domestic flights or 15 to 30 hours for international flights.

Refunds of fees for amenities like seat selection or an internet connection are also covered if the airline fails to provide the service.

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BILL WOULD MANDATE REVIEWING DEFINITION
OF ANTISEMITISM

CAPITOL HILL — A BIPARTISAN ANTISEMITISM AWARENESS ACT that would codify the definition of “antisemitic” was introduced in Congress on Thursday, April 25. Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, alongside 29 other senators, introduced the bill that will help address antisemitic sentiment and action on college campuses — in the wake of recent protests related to the Israel-Hamas war — by requiring the U.S. Department of Education to consider the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism when enforcing federal anti-discrimination laws. The Antisemitism Awareness Act would formalize the Department of Education’s consideration of the IHRA’s definition of antisemitism, having been used by the State Department since the Obama administration.

However, according to the Oxford Dictionary and other cultural anthropology academic sources, semite is a language group rather than a religion or ethnic group. Arabs and other peoples of the Middle Eastern region and Western Asia are also Semitic. Questions also arise whether the First Amendment right to criticize government policy could be redefined as antisemitic activity.

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APPLICATION PERIOD OPENS FOR GOVERNOR’S
CAREY GABAY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

ALBANY AND BROOKLYN — APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN for the 2024 Carey Gabay Fellowship Program, memorializing an attorney on the governor’s staff who was an innocent bystander in gang crossfire during the 2015 Jouvert that preceded Brooklyn’s annual West Indian Day Parade Carnival. Gabay, who had won a full scholarship to Harvard, worked in the Counsel’s Office for the Governor at the time of his death. The Carey Gabay Fellowship is a paid two-year legal Fellowship program that appoints an attorney biannually to a placement in the Governor’s Office. The selected Fellow works directly with the Counsel to the Governor and their staff on issues such as violence prevention, economic equality, and community development — policy areas Mr. Gabay championed throughout his career. Applications will be accepted online through May 15.

The incoming Carey Gabay Fellow will serve from September 2024 to September 2026 and participate in an educational program along with participants in the Empire State Fellows program.

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TWO BROOKLYN ARTS NON-PROFITS RECEIVE GRANTS
FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS

BOERUM HILL AND GOWANUS — TWO BROOKLYN ARTS ORGANIZATIONS are among those receiving a total of nearly $32 million through the New York State Council on the Arts’ Capital Projects Fund, Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Thursday, April 25. This investment in non-profit arts and cultural organizations across New York supports crucial building renovations, accessibility improvements and new spaces for creative and cultural work. Awardees in the grant category of Small and Midsized Capital Improvement Grant, which helps underwrite projects ranging from $50,000 to $2 million are The Tatter Blue Archives Institute on Carroll St. in Gowanus, which is receiving $1,364,000 for its flagship space construction, and Roulette Intermedium, Inc., a performing arts venue in Boerum Hill, which is receiving $50,000 for its LED lighting system replacement.

Installation Roulette supports artists with experimental art products and audience building. Tatter Blue is a textile library that chronicles the stories of African Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders and other indigenous peoples, offering classes and exhibits in both crafts and history.

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OFFSHORE WIND PROJECTS SCUTTLED AFTER CRUCIAL PART CANCELED

STATEWIDE — THREE MAJOR OFFSHORE WIND FARMS SLATED FOR construction off the New York coast have been canceled, reports Politico. The Attentive Energy One project, the Community Offshore Wind project and the Excelsior Wind project were planned wind farms all made unworkable after General Electric announced in February that a large turbine key to all three projects would not be produced, leading the state to last week announce that it was unable to reach final agreements with the teams behind the farms. The three projects, touted last year by Governor Hochul as “an historic investment to demonstrate our full commitment to renewables,” would have generated enough electricity to power nearly 2 million homes, and were expected to finish construction by 2030; while New York’s other wind projects have begun seeing success, the cancelation raises concerns over whether the state will be able to meet its ambitious climate goals, which call for New York to use 70% renewable energy by 2030.

The cancellation will not affect Sunset Park’s burgeoning turbine assembly industry or the new Gowanus substation, which are attached to the soon-to-be-under-construction Empire Wind project, off the coast of Long Island.

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‘BEE HOTELS’ COMING TO PLAZAS AROUND CITY

CITYWIDE — THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION WILL BE INSTALLING “bee hotels” and “bee bunkers” in public plazas and Open Streets around the city, reports Gothamist. The Pollinator Port project, co-led by the Horticultural Society of New York and Rutgers University, will see New York’s at-risk native bee species given habitats and nutritious vegetation in locations designed to help bees and other pollinators move around the city. The bee hotels offer above-ground nesting locations made out of natural materials, while the bee bunkers provide dirt for burrowing species to shelter in during the winter.

The Pollinator Port pilot program began with an installation in Parkside Plaza last year; this year’s expansion includes an installation at Gates Avenue.

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HEIGHTS RESIDENTS PAY $30K+ EACH FOR ELECTRIC HEAT CONVERSION

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — APARTMENT DWELLERS ARE FACING steep charges as a result of new city rules that apply stiff financial penalties to multi-family buildings with high carbon emissions, reports The City. Residents at one Brooklyn Heights co-op are spending between $30,000 and $40,000 per unit to upgrade their 20-unit building to use highly efficient heat pumps and an electric water heater, even after generous rebates from Con Ed — saving money over the long term, but a hard choice for the thousands of similar buildings across the city with aging heating systems. Discussion began on the upgrades to the Hicks Street building four years ago, when its old oil-burning boiler had reached the end of its lifespan; residents were unsure at the time if the city’s efficiency penalties would apply, but decided that taking a loan to finance the upfront investment was a sounder choice than a cheaper gas upgrade that might need sooner replacement.

While the building’s contractor, Tom Esposito of VRF Solutions, was able to secure discounts for the Hicks Street residents, he warned that economic barriers could prevent widespread adoption: “The buildings that are more well-heeled and have their financing in place and have gotten educated on the technology go much quicker than folks that are just learning… Some projects fail because of financing. Some of the folks that need it the most can’t get it.”

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MTA TO RENOVATE BKLYN SUBWAY STATIONS

CITYWIDE — THE MTA ON TUESDAY ANNOUNCED THAT 13 SUBWAY stations have been selected for its “Re-NEW-vation” station improvement program between April and June, reports amNY. Brooklyn stations will include 18th Street N station, the Bay Parkway F station, the Gates Avenue J station and the Franklin Avenue shuttle station. The Re-NEW-vations focus on quality-of-life upgrades for riders, and include deep cleanings, fresh paint, improved lighting fixtures and drainage systems, repairs to cracked tiles and ceilings, rust abatement, bench refinishing and more.

The MTA also announced that two more G train stations, Flushing Avenue and Greenpoint Avenue, would be renovated this summer during the G train’s partial shutdown between Court Square and Hoyt-Schermerhorn, scheduled for late June through early September.

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ADAMS: SOME PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTERS COULD BE ‘OUTSIDE AGITATORS’

CITYWIDE — MAYOR ERIC ADAMS TOLD REPORTERS TUESDAY that he believes some of the most disruptive pro-Palestinian protestors on college campuses like Columbia and NYU are actually “organized” outside anarchists trying to provoke a violent response from police. “We can’t have outside agitators come in and be destructive to our city,” he said at his weekly press conference. Adams also noted that many of the tents that popped up in college encampments appeared the same.

“Why is everybody’s tent the same? Was there a fire sale on those tents?” Adams asked. “There’s some organizing going on. There’s a well-concerted organizing effort. What’s the goal of that organizing? That’s what we need to be asking ourselves.”

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GUYANA’S PRESIDENT ALI VISITS BROOKLYN

EAST FLATBUSH — GUYANA’S PRESIDENT IRFAAN ALI VISITED BROOKLYN on April 19, where he received a warm welcome from Guyanese-born medical staff at Kings County Hospital Center, Caribbean Life reports. Ali took a tour of the facility with CEO Sheldon McLeod, and expressed an interest in organizing medical missions to the South American republic to utilize the skills of specialized health practitioners from Kings County. “The fact is you have more than 5,500 medical practitioners, technicians, workers, and approximately 13% are Guyanese,” Ali said of Kings County. “I am very proud to see that Guyanese are contributing to this significant facility. This is the highlight of my day.”

Ali also took a neighborhood walk and sampled national dishes from several Guyanese-owned eateries, including Pam & Steve, Linda’s, Pam’s Bakery, German Restaurant and “The Hills Restaurant” on Church Avenue.

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SPEAKER ADAMS, BRANNAN: MAYOR’S BUDGET CUTS ARE UNNECESSARY & HARMFUL

CITYWIDE — IN A JOINT STATEMENT ON WEDNESDAY, Council Speaker Adrienne Adams (D-Jamaica, S. Ozone Park) and Finance Chair Justin Brannan (D-Bay Ridge, Coney Island) said that Mayor Eric Adams has reversed just a fraction of what they described as harmful and unnecessary cuts in the Fiscal Year 2025 Executive Budget. “We are disappointed that critical support for key mental health services, programs to reduce recidivism, and libraries that our city desperately needs are not included in the Executive Budget,” Adams and Brannan said. They added that the Council has identified $6.15 billion in newly available resources for fiscal years 2024 and 2025.

The officials said the Council’s budget response proposes $1.63 billion for the restoration of essential services, and sets aside nearly $3 billion to protect against fiscal risks and under-budgeted costs, while dedicating $500 million to the Rainy Day Fund. This would leave more than $1 billion as a safeguard, they said.

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POLICE LOOK FOR SUSPECT WHO FIRED AND MISSED OUTSIDE SUNSET PARK RESTAURANT

SUNSET PARK — AN UNKNOWN ASSAILANT FIRED A GUN at another man — but missed — outside a 5th Avenue eatery in Sunset Park on Wednesday, April 17. Police said the 23-year-old victim was at 4015 5th Ave. at about 2:35 a.m. when the aggressor approached and started a verbal dispute. A physical altercation ensued outside the restaurant, and the attacker displayed a firearm and discharged one round in the victim’s direction, missing him, before fleeing on foot northbound on 5th Avenue. The suspect is described as having a medium complexion and is approximately 30 to 40 years old. He has long hair and a stocky build.

Police ask that anyone with information call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782), or visit Crime Stoppers online.

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INSTAGRAM SWINDLER SENTENCED TO 7 YEARS IN BROOKLYN COURT

DOWNTOWN — AN INSTAGRAM FAKER with almost a million followers who conned a New York Muslim community out of at least $8 million — then spent and gambled it away — was sentenced to seven years in Federal Court in Brooklyn on Wednesday. Jebara Igbara, 28, known on Instagram as “Jay Mazini,” was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Frederic Block for wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering, arising out of multiple crypto schemes that targeted trusting investors. On his Instagram account as “Jay Mazini” he would post fake videos depicting himself handing out large sums of cash to shoppers waiting on the checkout line in grocery stores and individuals working in fast food restaurants. As part of his sentence, Igbara, who portrayed himself as a devout Muslim, was ordered to pay $10 million in forfeiture.

“Shamefully, he targeted his own religious community, taking advantage of their trust in him so he could spend and gamble their hard-earned money,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace.

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FOUR-ALARM FIRE DISPLACES FAMILIES OF TWO BENSONHURST BUILDINGS

BENSONHURST — IT TOOK 170 FIREFIGHTERS and emergency medical personnel to bring a four-alarm fire under control near 71st St. and 20th Avenue in Bensonhurst on Tuesday afternoon, according to the FDNY and several news sources. The fire started on the first floor of a residential building at 2052 71st St., near 21st Avenue, around 1 p.m. and spread both upward to the second floor and an adjoining building, displacing four families, according to News 12 Brooklyn. The house where the fire broke out was occupied at the time, but the residents were able to escape. FDNY officials said that the fire went to four alarms before it was contained around 3 p.m. Seven firefighters suffered minor injuries while battling the flames, and that both buildings had extensive damage. The cause is under investigation.

City Councilmember Susan Zhuang and the Red Cross are working closely with the impacted families, according to News 12 Brooklyn.

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ACLU LEADER URGES UNIVERSITIES TO FOSTER CANDID DIALOGUE ON ISRAEL-PALESTINE CONFLICT

CITYWIDE — “UNIVERSITY OFFICIALS DO A SERIOUS DISSERVICE when they respond to the concerns of one group at the expense of another, or when they assume all individuals within any group share the same viewpoint,” says NY Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Donna Lieberman, in response to the arrests of pro-Palestinian protesters at NYU and several university campuses. Instead, Lieberman calls for open dialogue and debate. “Political expression and activism are in New York City’s DNA. The city’s campuses and public spaces have a history of accommodating large and ongoing demonstrations, including controversial actions from sit-ins on campuses to week-long protests in our parks. In difficult times, speaking out, debate, and dialogue matter more than ever…Preemptively flooding nonviolent student actions with officers in riot gear and the use of chemical agents escalates tensions, intimidates those who would participate in further protest, and discourages meaningful dialogue.”

Lieberman pointed out that “Jewish, Arab, and Muslim students have all expressed fears for their safety on campus…Officials should not conflate criticism of Israel with antisemitism or use hate incidents as a pretext to silence political views they oppose.”

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209 ARRESTED AT GRAND ARMY PALESTINE PROTEST

PROSPECT HEIGHTS – POLICE ARRESTED 209 DEMONSTRATORS ON TUESDAY night at a pro-Palestine “emergency Seder” in Grand Army Plaza, near the home of Sen. Chuck Schumer, reports the Daily News; the protest was organized by several Palestine-focused Jewish groups to mark the second night of Passover and called for a halt on arms sales and aid funds for Israel. The New York Post reports that the protesters were taken into custody without incident after linking arms in the streets and blocking traffic; Schumer was not home at the time.

The Senate on Tuesday passed a $95 billion foreign aid package, supported by Schumer, that includes funding for Ukraine and Taiwan along with $26 billion for Israel; President Biden signed the long-delayed measure on Wednesday.

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SUMMERSTAGE ANNOUNCES 2024 LINEUP

CITYWIDE – THE CITY PARKS FOUNDATION ON TUESDAY announced the lineup for the 38th annual SummerStage outdoor concert series, featuring established and emerging artists from around the globe performing in the city’s parks. In Brooklyn, the Coney Island Amphitheater will host Andy Montañez and more Latin musicians on June 15, the Federation Sound 25th Anniversary on July 7, the “Golden Oldies on the Boardwalk” show on July 14, Gorillafest featuring Ghostface Killah and others on August 4, and the WBLS 50th Anniversary on August 11; Brooklyn Bridge Park will host the Metropolitan Opera Summer Recital on June 20, and Herbert von King Park will host a weekend of concerts from July 11 through July 14, featuring subway-Showtime-inspired dancers, a tribute to J Dilla featuring the Pharcyde, and the return of MIKE’s Young World festival, featuring Earl Sweatshirt, among many others.

All Brooklyn-based shows in the SummerStage series are free and open to the public this year; more information about scheduling and artist lineups can be found online on the City Parks Foundation’s website.

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INDUSTRY CITY CELEBRATES EARTH DAY, ARAB HERITAGE MONTH

SUNSET PARK – THE BROOKLYN MADE STORE IN INDUSTRY CITY IS set to celebrate Earth Day and Arab-American Heritage month on Thursday with a featured spotlight on the Tunisian and Dominican husband-and-wife team behind Harissa Hot Honey, as well as on upcycled coffee soap company 2nd Ground. These “Makers of the Month” will showcase their sustainable crafting processes, as well as offering tasty samples, to attendees, joined by other local small businesses; the first 25 guests will receive free gift bags.

The celebration will take place on Thursday, April 25 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Brooklyn Made store in Industry City.

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HOCHUL: NO PLANS FOR NAT’L GUARD ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES

STATEWIDE – GOVERNOR HOCHUL AT A PRESS CONFERENCE ON Tuesday said that she was not currently considering sending the National Guard to disperse pro-Palestine protests at Columbia and NYU, reports City and State, following several days of unrest and reports of antisemitism and violent language; several prominent Republicans, including senators Tom Cotton and Josh Hawley and state Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt have called for the Guard’s deployment. The contentious camps, formed by students who say they want the universities to divest from Israel-linked businesses, led to the removal and arrests of dozens of students and other demonstrators at the two campuses on Monday and Tuesday nights; student groups at Columbia alleged that the university had said it was considering calling for the guard and further police action.

School leaders and advocates have urged deescalation following the arrests, while others, including Mayor Adams, have charged that the protests are being led by organized provocateurs attempting to spark conflicts with police.