News – Page 2363 – 105.7 WDNY

Alleged Epstein victim sues Prince Andrew for sexual abuse

August 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — An alleged victim of deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein filed a lawsuit against Prince Andrew of Britain on Monday, accusing the embattled 61-year-old royal of sexually abusing her at Epstein’s Manhattan mansion and elsewhere when she was under the age of 18, according to court records.

The lawsuit, filed by Virginia Roberts Giuffre in federal court in New York, comes almost two years to the day that Epstein died in a New York jail while he was awaiting trial on conspiracy and child sex trafficking charges. The legal action also comes just days before the expiration date of a New York state law that permits alleged victims of childhood sexual abuse to file civil claims that might otherwise be barred by statutes of limitations.

“If she doesn’t do it now, she would be allowing him to escape any accountability for his actions,” Giuffre’s attorney, David Boies, chairman of Boies, Schiller Flexner, told ABC News. “And Virginia is committed to trying to avoid situations where rich and powerful people escape any accountability for their actions.”

The lawsuit seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages and accuses Andrew of sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

“Twenty years ago, Prince Andrew’s wealth, power, position, and connections enabled him to abuse a frightened, vulnerable child with no one there to protect her. It is long past the time for him to be held to account,” the lawsuit states.

Reached late Monday, a U.K.-based spokesperson for Prince Andrew said there would be no comment on the suit.

“I am holding Prince Andrew accountable for what he did to me. The powerful and the rich are not exempt from being held responsible for their actions. I hope that other victims will see that it is possible not to live in silence and fear, but one can reclaim her life by speaking out and demanding justice,” Giuffre said, via her lawyers, in a statement to ABC News.

“I did not come to this decision lightly. As a mother and a wife, my family comes first. I know that this action will subject me to further attacks by Prince Andrew and his surrogates. But I knew that if I did not pursue this action, I would be letting them and victims everywhere down,” the statement said.

Giuffre, now a 38-year-old mother living in Australia, first accused the prince of sexual abuse in public court filings in December of 2014, in a case brought by alleged Epstein victims against the U.S. Department of Justice. That lawsuit challenged Epstein’s lenient deal with federal prosecutors in Florida in 2008.

Giuffre alleged in those court submissions that she was directed by Epstein and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell to have sex with Andrew on three occasions in 2001, in London, New York and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Her claims were met then with vehement denials from Maxwell and from Buckingham Palace on behalf of the prince, the second son of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II.

“It is emphatically denied that [Prince Andrew] had any form of sexual contact or relationship with [Giuffre]. The allegations made are false and without any foundation,” the Palace statement said.

Since that time, Giuffre’s lawyers contend they have made multiple attempts to engage with Andrew or his advisers in discussions about her allegations in an effort to avoid litigation. But those efforts, Boies said, have been ignored.

“Since 2015, we’ve been trying to have a dialog with Prince Andrew or his lawyers,” Boies said. “We have given him every opportunity to provide any explanation or context that he might have. We’ve tried to reach a resolution without the necessity of litigation. Prince Andrew and his lawyers have been totally non-responsive.”

The most recent letter to the prince’s presumed legal team was sent last month and warned that a lawsuit would soon be filed unless the prince agreed to enter into discussions for an alternative resolution, according to the court filing Monday.

“If she had simply failed to sue now, it would have validated the stonewalling tactics that Andrew and his advisers have employed,” Boies said.

For nearly a decade, the prince has been under scrutiny for his association with Epstein, a multi-millionaire financier and the subject of state and federal investigations since the mid-2000s for allegedly recruiting underage girls for illicit massages and sex.

Epstein initially avoided federal charges involving allegations of abuse of nearly three dozen girls by agreeing to plead guilty to two comparatively minor charges in Florida state court in 2008. He served just 13 months of an 18-month term in a county jail.

Prince Andrew, who said he’d first met Epstein in 1999, became embroiled in the controversy in late 2010 when he was photographed walking with the convicted sex offender through New York’s Central Park shortly after Epstein’s sentence ended in Florida.

Epstein was charged again, in July 2019, in a two-count federal indictment for child sex trafficking and conspiracy for alleged crimes in New York and Florida between 2002 and 2005. He died in prison on Aug. 10 from an apparent suicide.

Following those new charges against Epstein, the prince again found himself under scrutiny from the press and prosecutors for his association with Epstein both before and after the wealthy financier was designated as a sex offender.

In a rare television interview with the BBC in November 2019, Andrew categorically denied Giuffre’s allegations that he had sexual contact with her. He claimed to have no memory of ever meeting her and suggested that a widely-circulated photograph of him with his arm around the waist of then 17-year-old Giuffre, allegedly taken by Epstein in the London home of Maxwell in 2001, might have been doctored.

“I don’t believe that photograph was taken in the way that has been suggested,” he said. “I think it’s, from the investigations that we’ve done, you can’t prove whether or not that photograph is faked or not, because it is a photograph of a photograph of a photograph. So it’s very difficult to be able to prove it, but I don’t remember that photograph ever being taken.”

The prince also contended that he had an alibi for the date of the alleged encounter, claiming he was home with his daughter, Beatrice.

“I was at home,” the prince said. “I was with the children, and I’d taken Beatrice to a Pizza Express in Woking for a party at, I suppose, sort of 4 or 5 in the afternoon. And then, because the Duchess was away, we have a simple rule in the family that when one is away the other one is there. I was on terminal leave at the time from the Royal Navy, so therefore I was at home.”

The prince’s interview was harshly criticized in the British press and, within days, he released a new statement conceding that his “former association” with Epstein had become a major distraction for the royal family, and he stepped back from official duties.

He vowed in that statement that he would be willing “to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations.”

But Geoffrey Berman, then the U.S. Attorney in Manhattan, publicly called out the prince a few months later for failing to live up to his stated promise. At a press conference in front of Epstein’s New York mansion early last year, Berman said Prince Andrew has provided “zero cooperation.”

Giuffre’s court filing Monday contains a copy of the photograph of her standing beside Andrew, along with references to flight records from Epstein’s private planes that indicate Giuffre was a frequent passenger to destinations in the United States and abroad while she was under 18.

Giuffre contends in her lawsuit that the prince engaged in the alleged sexual acts with her “knowing that she was a sex-trafficking victim being forced to engage in sexual acts with him” and that he was aware of her age. She contends she did not consent to engaging in sexual acts with the prince.

“[Giuffre] was compelled by express or implied threats by Epstein, Maxwell, and/or Prince Andrew to engage in sexual acts with Prince Andrew, and feared death or physical injury to herself or another and other repercussions for disobeying Epstein, Maxwell, and Prince Andrew due to their powerful connections, wealth, and authority,” the suit alleges.

Giuffre has previously settled two federal lawsuits she filed in connection with her allegations that she was recruited by Maxwell and Epstein into a life of sexual servitude to Epstein and other powerful men. She settled with Epstein in 2009 and reached an out-of-court settlement in her defamation claim against Maxwell in 2017. There were no admissions of wrongdoing in either case, and the financial terms of the settlements were not disclosed.

Maxwell, in deposition testimony in the defamation case, denied Giuffre’s allegations and described her accuser as an “absolute liar.”

“She has lied repeatedly, often, and is just an awful fantasist,” Maxwell said during a 2016 deposition.

Maxwell, who is currently awaiting trial on charges she aided Epstein’s alleged abuse of four underage girls, denied recruiting Giuffre for sexual activities with Epstein and denied instructing Giuffre to have sex with the prince or other men.

“I never saw any inappropriate underage activities with Jeffrey ever,” Maxwell said.

Maxwell has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against her. She has not been charged in connection with Giuffre’s allegations of sexual abuse, though she is facing two perjury charges for alleged false statements in the 2016 depositions.

Boies told ABC News on Monday that it is his hope that the lawsuit finally leads to Prince Andrew agreeing to answer questions under oath.

“It’s one thing to ignore me. It’s another thing to ignore the judicial process of the state of New York and the United States,” Boies said. “If Prince Andrew does not take seriously the rule of law in this country, he is being very ill-advised. This is a serious lawsuit, and the court will take it seriously. We take it seriously. If he doesn’t take it seriously, it is at his peril.”

Alarming 94K surge in COVID-19 cases among kids, hospitals overwhelmed

August 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) — Public health experts and state officials are raising alarms about a surge in COVID hospitalizations among children — now at their steepest and seeing the most significant increase since the onset of the pandemic.

After declining in the early summer, child COVID-19 cases have steadily increased again in recent weeks — just as many kids head back to the classroom.

In a newly released weekly report, which compiles state-by-state data on COVID-19 cases among children, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) found that nearly 94,000 new child COVID-19 cases were reported last week, a continued “substantial” increase.

Some of the worst numbers are in Louisiana and Florida but could get worse elsewhere fast as public health officials express concerns with the highly contagious delta variant amid continued vaccine hesitancy.

“This is not your grandfather’s COVID,” Dr. Mark Kline, the physician in chief of Children’s Hospital New Orleans told ABC’s “Good Morning America” Monday. Louisiana is facing the nation’s highest rate of new COVID-19 cases with the Children’s Hospital in New Orleans describing what they’re seeing as “an epidemic of very young children.”

“We are hospitalizing record numbers of children,” Kline continued. “Half of the children in our hospital today are under two years of age. Most of the others are between five and ten years of age — too young to be vaccinated just yet.”

In Florida, the state with the highest number of confirmed pediatric COVID-19 hospitalizations in the country, 179 patients are receiving care, according to federal data. As of Monday morning, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami had one child on a ventilator.

Dr. Marcos Mestre, the hospital’s vice president and chief medical officer, told ABC News that in recent weeks, his teams have seen a “significant uptick” in pediatric COVID-19 cases. He said some children are alone in the hospital because their parents, also unvaccinated, are battling COVID-19 at another hospital.

“It’s tough,” he said, and places “undue social stress on the child, as you can imagine, not having the parents around.”

Texas follows Florida closely behind with 161 confirmed pediatric patients hospitalized across the state, and in California, there are 98 confirmed pediatric patients receiving care.

It comes as the country’s daily case average for Americans increased to nearly 100,000 cases a day for the past four days — up by 31.7% in the last week and nearly nine times higher than the average was in mid-June. For children 17 and under, the rate of pediatric hospital admissions per capita is 3.75 times higher than it was just a month ago — now equal to its highest point of the pandemic, in January 2021.

While severe illness due to COVID-19 remains “uncommon” among children, experts say the increased trend is concerning.

“While severe outcomes of COVID-19 infection in pediatric populations continue to be relatively low compared to adults, the current exponential growth in hospitalizations is a very worrisome trend,” explained Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist at Boston Children’s Hospital and an ABC News contributor. “As the remaining population ineligible for the vaccine, children will, unfortunately, be the main vectors of virus spread creating risk to both themselves and the rest of the population.”

The Food and Drug Administration has not yet approved vaccines for children under 12, leaving a large youth population susceptible to COVID-19. But following data released by the AAP last week showing the massive increase in COVID-19 cases among kids, the organization wrote a letter to the head of the FDA urging authorization of vaccines for 5-11-year-olds as fast as possible.

“We understand that the FDA has recently worked with Pfizer and Moderna to double the number of children ages 5-11 years included in clinical trials of their COVID-19 vaccines. While we appreciate this prudent step to gather more safety data, we urge FDA to carefully consider the impact of this decision on the timeline for authorizing a vaccine for this age group,” wrote Dr. Lee Savio Beers, president of the AAP.

“Simply stated, the delta variant has created a new and pressing risk to children and adolescents across this country, as it has also done for unvaccinated adults,” she said.

Beers told ABC News Live’s “The Breakdown” Monday that hospital workers are inundated with the massive increase in COVID-19 cases among kids particularly in areas where vaccinations are low.

“They’re seeing just a lot of kids who are very ill with COVID. They’re seeing children in their ICUs. They’re seeing children who are in pretty significant distress,” she said, reiterating the organization’s position that the FDA could approve vaccines for 5 to 11 years olds based on previous trials.

“We know that [COVID] can be severe in children, and so we should do those things that we need to do to help prevent the spread and help keep our kids and our whole community safe,” she added.

Dr. Ashish Jha, who supports expanding vaccinations for those 5 to 11, reiterated on ABC’s “Good Morning America” Monday the position widely shared by public health experts that the first step to getting kids back to school safely is with vaccinations for everyone who is eligible.

“Kids who can’t get vaccinated, you protect them by making sure everyone around them is vaccinated,” he said.

A recent CDC national immunization survey from late July found that among parents of children 13 to 17, 49.8% had children vaccinated or definitely plan to vaccinate, 25.4% were “probably will get their children vaccinated or are unsure”, and 24.8% are reluctant, “probably or definitely will not get children vaccinated.”

Despite the delta surge, a recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll found among unvaccinated adults, nearly half, 46%, say they definitely won’t get a shot, 15% call it very unlikely and 10% somewhat unlikely. In another question, one in five of the unvaccinated say news about variants has made them more apt to get a jab.

As pediatric hospitalizations rise, especially where vaccination rates are low, Dr. Peter Hotez of Baylor College of Medicine called what’s unfolding in the South a “humanitarian catastrophe.”

“As schools act as an accelerant you should assume we’re going to see pediatric intensive care units all across the South completely overwhelmed and even a possibility of small tent cities of sick adolescents and kids,” he told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” adding the slope is “going up and up.”

Less than 30% of Americans ages 12 to 15, and only 41% of Americans 16 to 17 are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.

“And now schools are going to be an extraordinary accelerant,” he added. “If your adolescent kid is unvaccinated, you should assume there’s a high likelihood that that child is going to get COVID.”

The nation’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, hopes that full approval to the coronavirus vaccine will be granted by the end of August, he said Sunday, and predicted the move will encourage and new wave of vaccinations.

“I hope — I don’t predict — I hope that it will be within the next few weeks. I hope it’s within the month of August,” Fauci said of full FDA approval on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “If that’s the case, you’re going to see the empowerment of local enterprises, giving mandates that could be colleges, universities, places of business, a whole variety and I strongly support that. The time has come.”

But there’s opposition — and it could be heard by the Supreme Court.

A group of eight unvaccinated University of Indiana students made an 11th-hour appeal to the Supreme Court last week to block the school’s vaccination mandate for anyone on campus this fall. They put forth various arguments for why the mandate allegedly violates their constitutional rights and heightened legal scrutiny, including that it’s contrary to FDA’s emergency use authorization terms for the vaccines — which public health experts are hoping changes soon. The students asked for a decision by Friday.

ABC News’ Gary Langer, Cheyenne Haslett and Devin Dwyer contributed to this report.

Fires out West: Health tips for residents who are escaping the flames

August 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The dangerous wildfires erupting across large portions of the Western U.S. are bringing major health risks to the residents.

The Dixie Fire near the Feather River Canyon in Northern California is now the second-largest fire in state history after it sparked last month. Whether you live in California, Oregon or Montana, here are some tips from doctors:

Dr. Zab Mosenifar, a lung specialist at Cedars-Sinai medical director of the Women’s Guild Lung Institute, says those in immediate danger are the residents within 25 miles of a fire.

Small particles in the air can travel hundreds of miles, and depending on the winds, particles can float for up to two weeks after a fire has been extinguished, Mosenifar warned.

Those especially in danger are children, the elderly and people with chronic respiratory problems, Mosenifar said.

“Breathing in smoke, spot and particulate matter in high concentration and/or for prolonged periods of time can result in short or long term lung damage,” said ABC News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton.

“People who smoke, vape or have asthma are at higher risk for problems,” Ashton said.

“I recommend that anyone in the area wear an N95 particulate mask if possible,” she added.

Ashton urges residents with persistent coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing or chest tightness to seek medical attention and to wear goggles for eye protection.

“If your eyes are hurting or vision is impaired, seek medical attention immediately and do not rub your eyes as this could cause more damage,” she said.

Mosenifar recommends that residents use an air filter in their home or set their air conditioner to recirculate the air.

Bringing pets on vacation: What you need to know

August 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(New York) — Pet adoption rates soared during the pandemic. According to a Rover.com survey from January, 49% of Americans said they got a new dog amid the pandemic.

With travel picking back up, pet parents are looking to bring their fur babies on vacation. Here’s what you need to know:

1. Understand the rules of flying with Fido

Last year, the Department of Transportation revised its rule on traveling with service animals, no longer classifying Emotional Support Animals (ESA’s) as service animals – opening the door for airlines to begin charging for ESA’s.

Currently, most U.S airlines charge customers $125 per flight to bring pets inside the cabin.

Dr. Marie Bucko, a veterinarian, said it’s important to first ask yourself if bringing your pet on your next trip is what’s best for them.

“Your pets are part of the family so it’s understandable that you would want to bring them on a family trip,” Bucko said in an interview with ABC News. “Sometimes it’s not so simple and there’s a lot to think about before bringing pets on vacation with us.”

Bucko said it’s important to take the time of distance of your flight into consideration.

“We certainly don’t want any of our fur babies to get sick on a flight,” Bucko said.

If you feel your pet is up for the plane, make sure your airline will allow them on board.

“Check with the airlines because they may have restrictions on breed and on size and most airlines also require a certificate of veterinary inspection which is like a health certificate more or less,” Bucko said.

If your pet is traveling in the cabin, Bucko said make sure you have an appropriately sized carrier and work on desensitizing your pet to it.

“At the airline or a local pet store you can kind of look into those dimensions and what their restrictions might be,” Bucko said.

2. Pack extra time so your pet can go potty at the airport

Once you arrive at the airport, Bucko said find out where the pet relief areas are located.

“Make sure that you arrived at the airport early enough to exercise your pet bring them to that relief area,” she advised.

After you’ve gone through security, Bucko said its important to let the flight crew know your flying with your pet.

“Your best bet is notifying the flight attendants as soon as you get on that either your pets are with you or they’re in the cargo hold,” Bucko said. “Just having an open line of communication with them as soon as you step onto that flight and say, ‘look I have my pet with me and is there anything that you need from me?’ in order to make this flight easier for all of us.”

3. If you can swing it, some are flying their pets private

Some pet owners are willing to shell out lots of cash to make their pets more comfortable. Luxury Aircraft Solutions, a jet charter company, said in June it saw almost 74% more people traveling with pets than in June 2019.

Daniel Hirschhorn, managing director of Jetmembership.com, said his customers are typically booking charters to move their pets around the country. He said taking your pet on a private jet is more costly than a commercial flight.

“Generally speaking, it’s significantly more expensive to do a private charter, even with those additional fees,” Hirschhorn said. “People spend a lot of money on their pets, they’re part of the family and if they need to get them somewhere they’re willing to pay up.”

Unlike a commercial plane, Hirschhorn said animals don’t need to be crated on Luxury Aircraft Solutions jets.

4. If your pet’s not up to flying, consider taking them on the road

Traveling with a pet by car is more economical for most people. Similar to travel crates, you can also work with your pet to get them used to the car.

“If you don’t often take your pet in the car you can start with short trips to fun destinations like a dog-friendly park or a play area to really get your pet used to riding in a car,” Bucko said.

If your pet gets sick on the road, Bucko said its best to talk with your veterinarian before your next road trip.

“The best piece of advice that I have for you is to talk with your veterinarian about alternate travel suggestions and even medications to keep them comfortable.”

5. Consider pet-friendly destinations for your next vacation

No matter how you decide to get there, make sure your destination will welcome your furry friend.

Emily Kaufman, a travel expert, said she’s seen an uptick in hotels and resorts creating special offers so owners can bring their pets on vacation.

“We don’t want to leave pets behind as we start venturing out,” Kaufman said. “So, we’re seeing new pet owners with new experiences wanting to share those with their pets.”

Most hotels will accept cats and dogs for an extra fee. Kaufman said to look for chains that have dedicated pages for pets on their websites.

“Those places are super welcoming for pets,” Kaufman said. “They usually give you an amenity, kind of a welcome gift, like a guide to where dog parks are in good walking areas.”

At least two Florida school districts refuse to allow students to opt out of wearing masks

August 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) — Risking financial consequences from the state of Florida, the superintendent of Leon County Schools refused Monday to allow parents to opt their children out of the district-wide mask mandate.

The decision directly defies an emergency rule issued Friday by the Florida Department of Health, which mandates that school districts requiring masks for students let parents opt out without providing a reason.

Gov. Ron DeSantis, in an executive order issued on July 30, gave the state education commissioner the green light to deny money to districts that don’t comply with rules to protect “parents’ rights … to make health care decisions for their minor children.”

Some of Florida’s largest school districts, seemingly spooked by the threat of losing money, are allowing parents to opt their children out of mask mandates .

Superintendent Rocky Hanna, however, is forcing the state’s hand.

He cited the need to keep students safe, as Florida reports increased numbers of infections of COVID-19 and hospital admissions in children.

The state has the highest number of confirmed pediatric hospitalizations from the virus, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services.

“If something happened and things went sideways for us this week and next week as we started school, and heaven forbid we lost a child to this virus, I can’t just simply blame the governor of the state. I can’t,” Hanna said.

He added, “If there’s an out and I didn’t take the out, and I didn’t do what was best for the children here in Tallahassee and Leon County, that’s on me.”

Parents in Leon County can submit a physician-signed form citing a medical need for their child to forgo a mask at school. They can also transfer their child to another school district via the Hope Scholarship, a program designed to protect bullied students which now, thanks to a new state rule, shields students from “COVID-19 harassment,” like mask mandates.

DeSantis’ office implied in a statement following Hannah’s announcement that any funding consequences would not affect students.

Instead, according to DeSantis press secretary Christina Pushaw, “The State Board of Education could move to withhold the salary of the district superintendent or school board members, as a narrowly tailored means to address the decision-makers who led to the violation of law.”

On Monday, Alachua County, home to Gainesville, confirmed that the district will also deny parents the chance to opt their children out of mask mandates without a medical reason.

“We want the same thing the governor wants. We want kids in their classrooms,” Jackie Johnson, the county’s communications director, told ABC News.

“The issue is we’ve got such a dramatic increase in the number of employees testing positive or having to be quarantined because of COVID. We certainly run the risk, if that trend isn’t reversed, of not having enough people to run our school safely,” she continued.

In a statement issued last week, Carlee Simon, the superintendent of Alachua County Public Schools, said two employees of the district had died of the virus within days of each other.

Time’s Up leader resigns after reports that she advised Cuomo

August 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Fortune

(NEW YORK) — A leader within Time’s Up, the organization founded in the wake of the #MeToo movement to fight gender-based discrimination in the workplace, has resigned after it emerged that she aided New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo after multiple women accused him of harassment.

Roberta “Robbie” Kaplan was the chair of the board of directors at Time’s Up before resigning Monday. She was also a co-founder of the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund and a prominent voice in the #MeToo movement that toppled Hollywood executives and others accused of harassing and assaulting women.

“Unfortunately, recent events have made it clear that even our apparent allies in the fight to advance women can turn out to be abusers,” Kaplan said in her resignation letter obtained by ABC News.

Kaplan, also an attorney in her own private practice, stated in the letter that she has found working as a lawyer does not allow her to talk openly or have the degree of transparency now being demanded, “since that would be contrary to my responsibilities as a lawyer.”

“I therefore have reluctantly come to the conclusion that an active litigation practice is no longer compatible with serving on the Board at Times Up at this time and I hereby resign,” she stated.

“It has been difficult for me to reach this decision in light of the challenges facing women today,” she added. “Now more than ever, and especially in light of the consequences of the ongoing pandemic, we know that ‘time’ is still very much ‘up’ and that much more change needs to happen.”

Kaplan said she looks forward to “continuing the fight for change and to advancing the mission we all share.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the results of her office’s monthslong probe into the allegations against Cuomo late last week, saying he was found to have sexually harassed multiple women. In at least one instance, the governor is also accused of seeking to retaliate against a woman who leveled accusations against him, according to James’ investigation.

The more than 160-page attorney general’s office report on Cuomo names Kaplan as allegedly being involved in an effort to discredit one of Cuomo’s accusers.

Time’s Up said in a statement to ABC News that Kaplan stepped down from the board after the organization and she agreed “that is the right and appropriate thing to do.”

“We’ve worked to hold power accountable in board rooms, in the halls of government, and in organizations big and small, and we have felt uniquely capable of doing so because many of us have worked in those very institutions,” the statement said. “We have never felt co-opted by that experience, only informed by it to try new strategies. And we are proud of that work and the change we have achieved. Yet, we recognize that this work has sometimes resulted in a lack of trust from the broader survivor community we serve and to which we also belong. We are looking within.”

The organization pledged to “hold ourselves accountable.” Time’s Up said it would evaluate processes, be more transparent about its vision, and work to provide a more inclusive process to engage the “broader survivor community.”

In the wake of the attorney general’s report being released, a chorus of lawmakers — including President Joe Biden — have called for Cuomo to resign.

Cuomo has denied all allegations of sexual harassment or misconduct. When accusations emerged earlier this year, the embattled governor said he would not resign. Melissa DeRosa, one of Cuomo’s top aides, resigned on Sunday after state investigators alleged she was part of the “retaliation” against one of his accusers.

On Monday, New York State’s Assembly Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Lavine called the findings of the report “deeply disturbing” as he ushered the committee into an executive session to discuss next steps in the impeachment investigation.

Pentagon to require mandatory COVID vaccines by mid-September: Source

August 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) —

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will request approval for the COVID-19 vaccine to become mandatory for all U.S. military service members by mid-September, according to a memo he sent to all Defense Department employees.

“I want you to know that I will seek the President’s approval to make the vaccines mandatory no later than mid-September, or immediately upon the U.S. Food and Drug Agency (FDA) licensure, whichever comes first,” Austin wrote in the memo.

A U.S. official initially confirmed Austin’s decision to ABC News before it was later made public in a written message to all U.S. military service members.

“By way of expectation, public reporting suggests the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine could achieve full FDA licensure early next month. The intervening few weeks will be spent preparing for this transition,” Austin wrote.

Given the rising coronavirus case numbers amid the increasing spread of the highly transmissible delta variant, Austin noted that “I will not hesitate to act sooner or recommend a different course to the President if l feel the need to do so.”

In a statement released shortly after Austin’s memo was sent out, the president said, “I strongly support Secretary Austin’s message to the Force today on the Department of Defense’s plan to add the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of required vaccinations for our service members not later than mid-September. Secretary Austin and I share an unshakable commitment to making sure our troops have every tool they need to do their jobs as safely as possible. These vaccines will save lives. Period. They are safe. They are effective.”

“We cannot let up in the fight against COVID-19, especially with the Delta variant spreading rapidly through unvaccinated populations. We are still on a wartime footing, and every American who is eligible should take immediate steps to get vaccinated right away,” Biden’s statement continued.

Because the COVID-19 vaccines are currently only being used under an emergency use authorization from the FDA, Biden will have to grant a waiver to enable the Pentagon to make vaccinations mandatory.

According to the Pentagon’s latest statistics more than 70% of all active-duty service members have received at least one dose.

Until Austin’s recommendation for a mandate, the U.S. military could only recommend to service members that they should take the vaccination. However, Pentagon officials had said that once the FDA approved a COVID vaccine that they would begin a review of whether it should be made mandatory for U.S. military personnel, just like the 17 other vaccines that are mandatory for U.S. military personnel.

Austin’s decision follows Biden’s announcement two weeks ago that federal employees would be required to provide proof of vaccination or face regular testing. Biden also ordered the Pentagon to explore “how and when” it could require service members to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

In addition to the recommendation to make the vaccine mandatory Austin wrote that “we will comply with the President’s direction regarding additional restrictions and requirements for unvaccinated Federal personnel.”

“I strongly encourage all DoD military and civilian personnel — as well as contractor personnel — to get vaccinated now and for military Service members to not wait for the mandate,” he wrote.

“All FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines are safe and highly effective,” said Austin. “They will protect you and your family. They will protect your unit, your ship, and your co-workers. And they will ensure we remain the most lethal and ready force in the world. Get the shot. Stay healthy. Stay ready.”

Read the memo:

Message to the Force Memo -… by ABC News Politics

Senate Democrats unveil $3.5 trillion budget resolution targeting social issues

August 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Senate Democrats on Monday unveiled details of their $3.5 trillion budget resolution, setting up Congress to begin work on the second portion of President Joe Biden’s major economic objectives.

The legislative language comes just as the Senate is preparing to complete its work on a separate $1.1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill late Monday or early Tuesday morning. Taken together, the bills are designed to comprise the whole of Biden’s American Families Plan priorities.

Unlike the bipartisan infrastructure plan, which focuses on “core” infrastructure needs such as roads bridges and waterways, the budget resolution includes many of Biden’s social programs focusing on family, climate and health care.

Key campaign promises, including universal pre-K, free 2-year community college, and paid family leave are included in the package, as are many of Biden’s climate priorities. The bill, pushed by Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., also secures investments in public housing, invests in job training, adds new Medicare benefits and extends expansions of the Affordable Care Act.

Democrats are expected to try to force the massive package through the Senate this week without a single GOP vote. Budget bills are not subject to the regular 60-vote threshold generally necessary to move legislation forward.

But any Senate action on the budget this week is just the first in a long series of steps before these objectives make it to Biden’s desk.

After the Senate votes on the budget bill, individual committees must craft legislation in line with the new budget, and that legislation will go before the full chamber for a second vote, likely in the fall.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has also been clear that she’ll need to see the Senate’s final budget product before she brings the House in to vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the budget resolution. House progressives want assurances that the Senate can approve social programs in the budget bill before they lend their support to the slimmed-down bipartisan package.

Republicans have vowed to fight the budget resolution at every step, including through what is expected to be a marathon of votes this week on partisan amendments designed to score political points and make centrist Democrats squirm.

The Democrat-only bill is expected to be funded in part by raising taxes on big corporations and wealthy Americans, something Republicans see as a referendum on the 2017 tax cuts, which many of them view as on one of former President Donald Trump’s most significant legislative achievements.

As well as general opposition to the massive $3.5 trillion price tag, Republicans have also promised a bruising fight over language incorporated into the legislation aimed at implementing significant changes to immigration policy, including providing a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

According to a top-line summary of the budget resolution released Monday, the package will “provide green cards to millions of immigrant workers and families” and “fund smart technology for safe and efficient borders for trade, travel and migration.”

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., has told reporters that his panel, which will write this portion of the final bill, plans to draft legislation that would provide green cards for so-called “Dreamers” — children brought to the U.S. illegally – and for farmworkers.

It is not yet clear whether these immigration policies will be permissible under the strict rules governing what may be in a Senate budget bill, but barring a ruling by the chamber’s parliamentarian that such policies are out of bounds, there isn’t much that Republicans can do to stop passage of the bill if all Democrats are on board.

It will require all 50 Senate Democrats plus the tie-breaking vote of Vice President Kamala Harris to move the budget resolution forward, but it is not yet clear that the caucus will remain united.

Earlier this month, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., announced that she would not support a $3.5 trillion top-line package. She said she’ll allow the process to move forward this week by lending her support to the budget bill for now, but as committees slog through their work, she said she wants to see overall spending reduced.

It is also not clear if all Democrats will agree with the leadership’s budget strategy for keeping the overall price tag of the bill down. Committees are expected to sunset costly programs – like the childcare tax credit – before the bill’s 10-year budget window, even though the programs could be extended in later years, thus growing the ultimate spending on the plan.

Foreshadowing another major partisan fight to come, Democrats also left a hike of the federal debt limit out of their budget blueprint, perhaps to appease moderates in their ranks, many of whom are up for re-election in 2022 and fearful of growing deficit spending in Washington. Republican challengers are all but certain to use a vote to raise the debt limit against them.

A suspension of the federal debt limit expired at the end of July, and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned that the US could exhaust its borrowing authority in the coming months without swift congressional action.

But Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has repeatedly insisted that Republicans will not vote to increase the debt limit, arguing that Democratic policies, like the massive COVID-19 relief bill and the upcoming budget bill, are driving up the debt, even though an increase in the nation’s debt ceiling is done to accommodate spending and tax cuts that have already occurred, including the effects of the 2017 GOP tax cut.

“They won’t get our help with the debt limit increase that recklessly, that these reckless plans will require. I could not be more clear,” McConnell said of his Democratic colleagues on the Senate floor last week. “They have the ability. They control the White House, they control the House, they control the Senate. They can raise the debt ceiling and if it’s raised, they will do it.”

But the administration challenged that notion in a statement Monday from Yellen, who urged Congress to use “regular order,” rather than the budget bill, to raise the debt ceiling.

“The vast majority of the debt subject to the debt limit was accrued prior to the Administration taking office. This is a shared responsibility, and I urge Congress to come together on a bipartisan basis as it has in the past to protect the full faith and credit of the United States,” Yellen wrote.

Failure to act could prove catastrophic. The last time the parties engaged in a partisan fight over the debt ceiling in 2011 resulted in a historic downgrading of the U.S. credit rating for the first time. World and U.S. markets plunged.

The Senate is expected to leave town for a shortened August recess upon completion of its work on the budget. When they return the second week in September, they’ll have just weeks to forge a path forward on the debt limit, as well as pass a final version of the Democrat-budget bill, this as the government runs out of funding on Oct. 1.

New online marketplace highlights global flavors, artisan products from diverse food entrepreneurs

August 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Adding items to a cart, shipping and restocking the kitchen can feel a bit monotonous. But thanks to Foxtrot Anywhere, a marketplace with a range of grocery and pantry products from new food entrepreneurs, it’s easier than ever to break free from a re-order rut and shop expertly curated selections.

A new era of trendy consumer product goods, especially in the food and beverage space, command attention for authenticity, diversity and quality both in ingredients and the story behind the people making them.

From stocking and supporting women-owned olive oil companies and Persian Ajil trail mix brands to a Brooklyn-based hot sauce line made by a Barbadian American drag queen, Foxtrot Anywhere puts global flavors on the map in more ways than one.

Originally launched as a brick-and-mortar reinvention of a neighborhood corner store with locations in Chicago, D.C. and Dallas, Foxtrot Anywhere now offers unique locally made and sourced goods online for nationwide delivery.

To kick off their new tastemaker series, the company tapped food expert Nilou Motamed to curate boxes that include her must-have picks like women-founded alcohol-free botanical spirits and ethically sourced Chinese teas.

“What they’re doing is a great disruption story. It’s a great evolution of how we consume,” she told “GMA” about Foxtrot’s business model that identifies and promotes new makers to give consumers access to what’s new. “It’s so important for us to understand eachother’s food as a way of understanding each other — it feels so good to be in this moment in our food culture where we can open people’s eyes to the bigger world out there — spotlight flavors from Israel, Tunisia, [Barbados] — we have an opportunity to let them be heard.”

A judge on TV shows “Top Chef” and “Chopped” and the former editor-in-chief at Food & Wine magazine, Motamed said putting together these boxes was particularly rewarding, especially with her intrinsically hospitable nature.

“Creating community around food is really important — so for me to be able to curate an aisle and talk about my favorite things, to turn people on to new products that they might not be aware of and have a dialogue with people at Foxtrot to bubble up the best things they have to know about and be able to deliver it to them in this big moment is so fun.”

The self-proclaimed “obsessive gifter” said she has always enjoyed creating boxes of treats representative of the person she’s giving it to.

Whether it’s a hosting or housewarming gift, Motamed shared her favorite Foxtrot brands, including: “New York Shuk, a Moroccan harissa paste made by a Brooklyn-based couple that I have in my fridge, it’s such a good product and I think a lot of people don’t know about it; Frankie’s 457, which happens to be where I ate all my early post-lockdown meals, and the olive oil is a signature there and that’s on my kitchen counter, so that olive oil is in one of my boxes; [and] Diaspora, which is a female-owned fair trade spice company.”

“There’s such a powerful force for diversity and female empowerment — and each of these boxes is like my big hug to these hard-working artisans who make our lives more joyful,” Motamed said.

Motamed “worked very hard” with Foxtrot to bring back experiential joy of discovering new products to an online platform, using evocative descriptions since shoppers don’t have the benefit of tasting or smelling.

“There’s so many things coming at us,” Motamed said, “it’s hard to know who to trust and where to spend your money. Because products are so well made and in small batches, we want to make sure that when you get it home that you feel as good as you did in the moment. It’s full of craft, everything feels like it’s part of a joyful exploration of the best things happening in the food space.”

Niloofar Mirani founded Ajil trailmix inspired by her father’s Persian cooking, which is also vegan, gluten- and sugar-free. [It’s] “what every Persian family has in their house — it’s salty-sweet with cashews and plump raisins,” Motamed described of the product that she felt particularly connected to as an Iranian immigrant. Mirani spent a year with her father sourcing the highest quality nuts and dried fruit and perfecting their ratios in each bag, Motamed said.

Dr. Jha’s 5-point COVID-19 strategy for getting kids back to school safely

August 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 delta variant continues to raise new concerns for Americans, parents can follow a set of five principles to help make going back to school safer for their children.

Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, joined Good Morning America Monday to share his five-point strategy:

1. Vaccinate everyone who is eligible and who will be around children in schools

“Those kids who can’t get vaccinated, the way you protect them is making sure everyone around them is vaccinated,” Jha said.

2. Upgrade ventilation in schools

“We’ve got a lot to do to improve the air quality in schools,” he said of ventilation and filtration.

3. Test in schools

“We should be testing every unvaccinated person on a regular basis in schools,” Jha said about extensive access to testing.

4. Wear masks

5. Avoid super-crowded events

Jha suggested avoiding assembly halls and concerts.

As for the latest surge hitting the U.S., Jha said he expects “that until we put in mitigation measures and get more people vaccinated, we’re going to be struggling with the delta variant for a while.”

+ More