Nation

Gov. Cuomo to close schools in new NYC COVID-19 hotspots

Published

2 years ago

October 5, 2020

Following recent outbreaks in various Brooklyn and Queens neighborhoods, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) announced that schools in these ZIP codes will be closed for in-person learning starting on Tuesday, the New York Post reports.

During the same Monday press conference, Cuomo said that the state government would be intervening in the city’s handling of the virus, using city personnel to more strongly enforce virus prevention measures and violations.

While New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio had asked Cuomo on Sunday to shut down the schools, non-essential businesses, and dining at restaurants in these hot zones, Cuomo decided to only close the public and private schools in these areas for the time being.

Justifying the move, Cuomo said, “These clusters need to be attacked.”

“I would not send my child to a school in a hot-spot cluster,” the Governor added. “I am not going to recommend or allow any New York City family to send their child to a school that I wouldn’t send my child.”

Cuomo has been openly critical of New York City’s response to the latest outbreaks and of his rival, de Blasio. He has been especially critical of de Blasio’s plan for not addressing religious communities enough, particularly since many outbreaks have been coming from with areas with large Orthodox Jewish communities. The Governor said that he would meet with these leaders on Tuesday.

With regards to the enforcement of mask-wearing and social-distancing mandates, he said: “Enforcement is kind. You know why? Because enforcement saves lives. Any rule is only as good as the enforcement.”

He continued hammering his point, saying, “Too many local governments are not doing enforcement,” he continued. “Warnings are not enforcement.”

You can follow Douglas Braff on Twitter @Douglas_P_Braff.

Related Topics:Andrew Cuomo bill de blasio Brooklyn COVID19 New York City Queens

Israel

Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar kicked off House Foreign Affairs Committee

Published

2 days ago

February 2, 2023

Alexander Carter

Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar was voted off the House Foreign Affairs Committee Thursday. The action was expected, as Republican members of Congress had criticized Omar’s antisemetic and anti-American rhetoric.

After intense debating on the House floor, the resolution passed with a 218-211 vote. Democrats attempted to pull the race card, accusing Republican House members of racism for removing Omar from the committee.

Omar also accused House Republicans of racism, saying, “I am Muslim, I am an immigrant, and interestingly, from Africa…Is anyone surprised that I am being targeted? Is anyone surprised that I am somehow deemed unworthy to speak about American foreign policy, or that they see me as a powerful voice that needs to be silenced?”

“There is this idea that you are a suspect if you are an immigrant or if you are from certain parts of the world or certain skin tone or a muslim.” Omar said during the heated debate. A fiery Alexandria Ocasia Cortez also chimed in shouting, “This is an attack on women of color!”

Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, from New York, said she had personally witnessed Omar spew anti-American rhetoric. Malliotakis said, “I have been in that committee room where, the representative, equates Israel and the United States to Hamas and the Taliban. Absolutely unacceptable for a member of that committee.”

A four-page resolution was written for the justification of removing Omar from the house Foreign Affairs Committee. The resolution states that in 2019, Omar suggested that Jewish people were buying U.S. political support when she posted on Twitter, “it’s all about the Benjamins, baby.”

Omar also commented on the September 11th attacks saying, “some people did something.” This type of comment is unacceptable for any representative who is sitting on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, lawmakers said.

In the resolution it states that members of this committee should all be held to an “equal standard of conduct due to the international sensitivities and national security concerns under the jurisdiction of this committee.”