Any information or special reports about various countries may be published with photos/videos on the world blog with bold legit source. All languages are welcome. Mail to lucschrijvers@hotmail.com.
Search for an article in this Worldwide information blog
maandag 6 januari 2025
WORLD WORLDWIDE US USA - New York NY - New York City NYC - THE CITY - Former prisoners say deadly beating is routine
Dear New Yorkers,
In a video that has made international headlines, a group of guards at Marcy prison punch and kick a handcuffed prisoner. Some smiled while they beat the man, who died seven hours later.
For many formerly incarcerated New Yorkers, the scene of Robert Brooks, 43, being battered by a team of state prison correction officers while in a medical bed on Dec. 10 was not shocking at all.
“That’s just how the system is. It’s been going on forever,” said Greg Mingo, who served nearly 40 years in state prison before he was granted clemency in 2021 by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
State correction officers often view incarcerated people as “less than human that don’t deserve empathy,” Mingo added.
Brooks was one of 143 people who died last year inside a New York state prison — the highest total in five years, according to state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision records.
Attorney Glenn Miller and his law partner Ed Sivin, who have represented hundreds of incarcerated individuals who have sued the state prison system alleging similar violence, noted that the Brooks case is unique in one way: it was captured on video.
Mingo called it the state prison system’s “Rodney King moment,” referring to a video of cops severely beating a Black motorist in Los Angeles in March 1991, opening much of the public’s eye to police brutality.
There’s a big snowstorm coming in, but it will mostly miss us: expect light snow in the morning with temperatures in the low 30s.
MTA 🚇
This week, there will be no Q service overnight between 34th Street - Herald Square, Manhattan and Atlantic Ave - Barclays Center, Brooklyn. Find all the MTA’s planned changes and the latest delays here.
Alternate side parking 🚙
It’s suspended today, January 6, for Three Kings’ Day.
As state and local agencies grapple with the housing and mental health needs of unsheltered New Yorkers, internal numbers obtained by THE CITY show long odds for getting an apartment: Just 18% of those approved for housing actually got it, despite thousands of vacant units. Supportive housing with medical and social services on site is a long-proven model for helping chronically homeless people obtain a stable place to live. But out of 955 people who were approved for supportive housing — an onerous process that requires extensive documentation of an applicant’s history of mental illness, medications, hospitalizations and more — only 175 successfully obtained a spot.
Reporter’s Notebook
The Drought Watch is Over!
Mayor Eric Adams and Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Rohit Aggarwala on Friday said that the risk of a water shortage is no more. Ample rain in the past two months — about 20% above average — helped replenish the city’s water supply, along with conservation strategies. Reservoir levels Friday were at nearly 76% capacity, about 15% below normal.
After weeks without measurable rainfall, officials first declared a drought watch on Nov. 2, escalated to a warning later that month and then downgraded back to a watch by mid-December. New Yorkers were advised to save water.
— Samantha Maldonado
City Hall Moves to Unstick Nonprofit Payment Backlog
Mayor Eric Adams on Friday announced a new director for the Mayor’s Office of Nonprofit Services and new initiatives to speed up paying providers — weeks after THE CITY reported the issue was getting worse.
Michael Sedillo, who previously worked under the first deputy mayor, will now oversee the office, Adams said. The previous head, Johnny Celestin, was appointed in June but stepped down for a job at the Economic Development Corporation, a City Hall official said.
In November, THE CITY reported that nonprofits across New York were laying off staff in the face of payment delays on city government contracts. That followed THE CITY’s February reporting on leadership change at the office and problems with its online contracts portal.
“Nonprofit workers never hesitate to answer the call from our city,” Adams said in his statement, “the last thing they should have to worry about is getting paid on time.”
— Katie Honan
Things To Do
Here’s what’s going on around the city this week.
Today, Jan. 6: Celebrate Three Kings’ Day at El Museo Del Barrio with a parade followed by a live musical performance in the museum. Parade starts at 11 a.m.
Wednesday, Jan 8: Take a free yoga class at Moore Street Market in Williamsburg. 11 a.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 8: Attend the final singalong of the season at the Island of Warmth, an electric campfire art installation at Manhattan West. 385 9th Ave. 5 p.m.
THE KICKER: A group of public transit-loving friends were some of the first people to drive into the Central Business District on early Sunday morning, with their rear window professing that they had been “Just Tolled.”
Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Monday.
Love,
THE CITY
PS. LoveTHE CITY? Our nonprofit newsroom is powered by readers like you. Donate here.
Want to view Scoop in your web browser? Click here.
THE CITY's work is made possible, in part, through the support of our sponsors. Interested in becoming a sponsor of THE CITY? Contact us here.
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten