By THUYA KYAW

Assembly members Ron Kim and Ari Espinal announced their support on Thursday for legislation allowing undocumented immigrants to apply for New York State driver’s licenses.

The legislation, titled Greenlight NY Bill, was first introduced by a fellow assembly member Marcos Crespo, and was expected to help New Yorkers who are struggling to get a license due to their immigration status.

“This is a very important step because almost 800,000 immigrants in New York are living without a driver’s license in fear of getting caught or punished,” Kim said. “Yet they get behind the wheels so they create unsafe environment for everyone around them. So this is one clear way that we can say we can embrace immigrants.”

The bill could pass as soon as next week when it was expected to be introduced in Albany. However, Kim blames New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the senate for not collaborating enough to pass the bill earlier, with one example being a dismal state budget announced back in April for 2018/19 – which immigrant rights advocates say fails to meet their needs or expands protection for their communities.

He said he believes the upcoming gubernatorial election where he faced a stiff challenge from the left by actress Cynthia Nixon would push Cuomo to do more positive things for the immigrants.

“I think this election will be an opportunity for the governor to show the immigrant community how much he genuinely cares about these issues,” Kim said. “There are a lot he can do in the next one month for the community legislatively and we’ll look forward to working with him.”

This is not the first time that a proposal was made. In 2007, then-Gov. Eliot Spitzer issued an executive order that allowed undocumented persons to obtain driver’s licenses by showing a foreign passport as identification.

However, he quickly dropped his plans when faced with backlash from Republicans nationwide.

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By JEREMY MYRTHIL

New York City reached a new milestone on the steps of City Hall Thursday as the city Department of Veterans designated it as the largest Coast Guard city in the U.S.

The distinction was made official when Mayor Bill de Blasio stepped up and accepted the proclamation from Admiral Paul F. Zukunft, Commandant of the Coast Guard.

“As Frank Sinatra would say, ‘Start spreadin’ the news,’” said Admiral Zukunft.

The mayor followed by expressing warm thanks to the council members and city department commissioners who’ve worked with the Coast Guard, including Department of Emergency Management Commissioner Joseph Esposito, and Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro.

Speeches from the city’s commissioners were followed by a marching performance by the Coast Guard’s Silent Drill Team that closed out the ceremony.

“What a wonderful day for New York City,” said de Blasio.

Staten Island borough president James Oddo spoke highly about the Coast Guard, citing their efforts over the years and declaring his gratitude for their service in his district.

“You’ll only have to spend a couple hours to feel the leadership,” said Oddo. He also indulged in a bit of hyperbole by comparing the excitement of the city’s Coast guard proclamation to a New York baseball team winning the World Series, saying “this isn’t a bad second.”

Previously, San Diego held the largest Coastal Guard in the nation.

“I am proud of the women & men of the US Coast Guard, that Staten Island is home to USCG Sector New York & that our team at Borough Hall played a vital role in garnering this designation,” said Oddo.

The beginning of a new era in New York City also meant the end of another for the Coast Guard as Mayor de Blasio announced that  Zukunft was retiring after 45 years in service and playing a central role in the organization’s expansion.

“We have always been a proud Coast Guard city,” said de Blasio. “We will always be a Coast Guard city.”

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By JEREMY MYRTHIL

For two years, street gang leader Jose Luperon and overseeing manager Xavier Vargas were responsible for the sale of over 100 orders of crack cocaine along the stretch of Vermilyea Avenue between West 204th and West 207th Street.

Then the police following tips and leads decided to send detectives undercover.

As a result of the undercover work, drug kingpins Luperon and Vargas were sentenced on Thursday in Manhattan Supreme Court to prison after being found guilty of major trafficking and criminal sales of a controlled substance.

Luperon faced two separate prison terms, totaling 20 years and five years supervision after serving. Vargas also received two prison sentences, totaling 16-and-a-half years.

Operatingc24 hours a day, Luperon and Vargas’ criminal enterprise occupied the building lobbies and gated entrances of residential buildings along Vermilyea Avenue, prosecutors said. They began peddling dope in August 2015 until the enterprise was shut down after Christmas, 2016.

“As charged in the indictment, this highly structured trafficking ring operated out of just a few buildings on one Inwood block,” said Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance in a statement regarding the arrests of not only Luperon and Vargas, but of 30 other gang members.

Vance labeled Luperon the ringleader after reviewing his role in the drug operation under the “drug kingpin” statute. Jose’s brother, Omar Luperon, was also listed by the DA as a ringleader.

Vargas managed the day-to-day trafficking of the drugs, and was the only manager listed by court records as having been arrested. Before his sentencing, Vargas was being held on bail.

All 32 defendants involved in the crack cocaine ring, were accused of at least one count of second-degree conspiracy. The 30 otherr defendants await sentencing.

“Now, thanks to the NYPD and my Office’s prosecutors,” said Vance, “these residents will no longer have to sidestep drug deals in order to reach their homes, schools and places of worship.”

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BY THUY KYAW

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday announced the launch of Vital Brooklyn, a $1.4 billion community development project which includes affordable housing, job creation, youth development, and community-based violence prevention.

The development, primarily targeting the Central Brooklyn region, will become the largest ever state investment in Brooklyn, the governor said.

Speaking at a press conference in Bedford-Stuyvesant YMCA, Cuomo, who is running for a third term in this year’s New York gubernatorial election, outlined the details of the development.

“Today, we begin to create a brighter future for Brooklyn,” he said. “And make New York a model for development of high need communities across the country.”

It was not lost on political observers that the largesse bestowed on a borough of some 2.7 million, which would qualify it as the nation’s fourth largest city, happened in an election year.

Vital Brooklyn would entail building  more than 3,000 multi-family affordable housing units, as well as eight new schools, more than 20 anti-violence programs, and eight new playgrounds.

The plan also includes job training for young people, strengthening local healthcare facilities and mental health services, adding new hires through Brooklyn Unemployment Strikeforce, and starting a midnight basketball program.

In addition, Cuomo spoke about working with the government to create the largest state park in Brooklyn by securing a major waterfront parcel, although he said he could not yet reveal the full details.

So far in his seven-year tenure, the 60-year-old politician has made some progressive changes to the state – including the legalization of same sex marriage, expanding the assaults weapons ban, and vowing to protect immigrants from the illegal arrests by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. He faces a challenge for the Democratic nomination from the actress Cynthia Nixon.

“As a governor, I’ve always wanted to do something special, and this is something special,” Cuomo said. “It’s real, it’s happening, and it will make a difference in the lives of people who have been struggling for too long.”

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By KURTIS RATTAY

Drug policy reformers and harm reduction advocates rallied on the steps of City Hall Thursday, demanding Mayor de Blasio support supervised drug injection sites and release a $100,000 commissioned report which might aid in decriminalizing drug use in New York City.

In 2016, more than 1,300 overdose deaths were reported in New York City, a 46 percent increase from 2015, according to Drug Policy Alliance. Broken down by the day, one New Yorker dies about every seven hours from overdose. 2016 marked the sixth consecutive year of climbing overdose deaths.

This is why decriminalization advocates like Drug Policy Alliance, Vocal New York and former Manhattan borough president C. Virginia Fields are calling for “safer consumption spaces,” where drug users have access to sterile syringes and are supervised by medical staff. With about 100 safer consumption spaces in the world, no overdose deaths have been documented, Drug Policy Alliance said in a statement.

“Those sites are designed to reduce the risks of HIV, Hepatitis-C and overdose fatalities, and to connect persons who are using drugs to treatment and other social services,” Fields said. “The mayor has commissioned a study to look at this issue here in the city that can help inform us as to what services are needed.”

Drug reform supporters and racial justice advocates also highlighted the disproportionate policing of drug users in black and brown communities.

According to Kassandra Frederique of Drug Policy Alliance, in low-income communities of color, the police department treats overdoses as homicide investigations and approaches people entering syringe exchanges to work as confidential informants.

“We shouldn’t have to wait for white people to say they need help for our communities to get help,” Frederique said. “Latinx and black people are just as worthy for their lives to be saved. Places like safer consumption spaces not only save lives but it protects us from NYPD.”

About 45 supporters carrying signs and an “#endoverdoseNY” banner were quick to echo speakers with chants like “not one more death” and “release the report.” Usually, two or three police officers guard the two entrances to City Hall. During the rally, the police presence doubled at each entrance.

Recent shifts in New York City from “draconian drug war tactics” to decriminalization include the 911 Good Samaritan Law which protects those reporting an overdose from arrest, increasing access to the overdose antidote naloxone and making sterile syringes more available.

The first safer consumption site in the U.S. is scheduled to open in San Francisco this year. Earlier this year, Philadelphia mayor Jim Kenney gave the go-ahead for safer consumption sites. New York harm reduction advocates hope the city will follow suit.

Photo by Kurtis Rattay

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By RADHIKA VISWANATHAN

Nominations for the 63rd Annual Drama Desk awards were announced Thursday by Broadway and television stars Jane Krakowski and Tituss Burgess; the Broadway revival of Carousel made the top of the list with nominations in 12 categories.

The cozy and intimate basement at Feinstein’s/54 Below was filled with theater critics and aficionados who let out the occasional “whoop” as the pair of actors—who work together on the TV show Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt—listed the nominees.

This theater award is the only one in which Broadway, off-Broadway, and off-off-Broadway shows compete in the same categories, giving a platform to lesser-known shows. Still, the nominations were led by three Broadway shows: Carousel, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Mean Girls.

Among those nominated in the acting categories, the favorites to win are Andrew Garfield (Angels in America), Joshua Henry (Carousel), Lauren Ambrose (My Fair Lady), Ethan Slater (SpongeBob SquarePants), and Glenda Jackson (Three Tall Women)

This list is a good predictor of who will receive a similar nod during the Tony Award nominations, which will be announced on May 1. Given the Drama Desk’s choices, the most likely shows to receive Tony Award nominations are Mean Girls, SpongeBob SquarePants, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Angels in America, Carousel, and Three Tall Women.

However, because the Drama Desk awards also include off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions and because only new productions are eligible for a Drama Desk, there will certainly be significant differences between the two lists of nominations. The musical The Band’s Visit—a likely Tony nominee—was notably left out of the Drama Desk list because it ran as an off-Broadway production last year.

The Drama Desk Nominating Committee is made up of writers and reporters who cover New York City theater and are specifically chosen so that they have no bias. They viewed 280 productions throughout the city before making their picks.

“They are of varied backgrounds and ages, but all share great knowledge and passion for theater,” said Drama Desk President Charles Wright before introducing the members of the committee.

The awards ceremony will be held on June 3 at The Town Hall theater.

Photo by Radhika Viswanathan

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By DYLAN CAMPBLL, MICHELLE CUMMINGS & THUY KYAW

Governor Andrew Cuomo denied Thursday that he had plans to punish the Working Families Party and its partners after they threw their support to his Democratic primary opponent Cynthia Nixon.

“It has nothing to do with me,” he told reporters after a barrage of questions at a press conference on an unrelated matter. “Punishment is for God,” he added with typical sang froid. “Who unions should support or not support, that’s up to the unions. Nobody’s going to tell them what to do.”

On Monday, WFP leaders had accused Cuomo of pulling their tax documents in a threat to their funding after their endorsement OF Nixon on Saturday. And WTP director Bill Lipton recently was quoted as saying, “If unions or anyone give money to any of these groups, they can lose my number.”

Though Cuomo’s press spokesperson dismissed the accusations, questions around the alleged threats bubbled up. In addition Cuomo reportedly had asked allies in labor unions to cut funds to progressive groups backing Nixon.

The governor had called the press conference to announce that he was sending 10 professionals from the New York Press Authority to help rebuild the power grid and highlight the rollout of a program to mobilize teams of SUNY and CUNY students and construction and building professionals to help rebuild Puerto Rico’s homes. The move came in the wake of a nearly total blackout on the island’s power grid on Wednesday.

However the questions about possible retaliation against Nixon supporters overshadowed the announcement of the initiative to help Puerto Rico.

Meanwhile progressive groups allied with Nixon took to the streets to demand that Cuomo not retaliate against them.

“The rally is to defend these community organizations who have been threatened with the loss of funding, who everyday are in the frontline of fighting against deportation, safe housing conditions and housing authorities,” said Lipton at the gathering in Foley Square, also attended by City Public Advocate Letitia James, state senators Brian Benjamin and James Sanders and other progressive leaders.

WFP is largely funded by labor organizations and cannot receive direct funding from the state.

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By ALAIN GAILLARD

Dozens of activists and Puerto Rican evacuees appealed to FEMA on Thursday, to stop the imminent eviction of 86 families made homeless by hurricane Maria and living in hotels throughout the five boroughs.

“What it is happening here, what it is happening in Puerto Rico is a destruction of the Puerto Rican people,” said Dr. Marta Moreno Vega, one of the rally’s organizers t a news conference on the steps of City Hall. “It is genocide; it is displacement; it is homelessness; it is a crime against human rights.”

The island’s total recovery since the storm was still a long way off, as evidenced by the island experiencing yesterday a total power outage that affected more than 3 million people, the biggest power outage since Maria hit the island last year.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo also on Thursday at a separate news conference urged President Trump to extend the program to June.

Peter B. Gudaitis, executive director of the New York Disaster Interfaith Services, an organization providing help for Hurricane Maria evacuees, said that he had received  a message from the city that the 86 families facing eviction by tomorrow could stay at their hotel. He expressed concern that all families living in hotels will be evicted by May 14, the date the program is supposed to end.

“The TSA program is ending; within a few weeks there won’t be  any TSA program left,” he said. “The families in New York are in very precarious situation because if they don’t have a hotel room, the only option is to move to shelters or get on a plane back to Puerto Rico or to live on the street, not a choice any survivor of disasters in the U.S. should have to make.”

Nearly 4,000 families living in 40 states and Puerto Rico were in hotels under FEMA’s transitional sheltering assistance program. Last year, after two major hurricanes hit the island, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio gave housing to thousands of Puerto Rican evacuees. TSA allows eligible families and individuals to live temporarily in participating hotels at no cost .The CUNY Center for Puerto Rico Study estimates that 1100 Puerto Ricans have settled in New York six months since the hurricane devstated the island.

Andrea Tajeda, who has been in New York with her 4-year-old daughter since December 14, was first in a shelter before moving to a hotel. Very worried, she said that when they were moving from the shelter to the hotel, her daughter tried to console her by saying “Mama, do not cry, I will help.” Tajeda hopes the City will come up with a solution that would allow her to stay in New York now that she has lost her home in Puerto Rico.

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