Some cities in India offered gold nose rings in exchange for getting <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">vaccinated</a> against <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus</a>, Russian states offered ice-creams. A man in New York, however, came up with a unique and interesting idea.

A New York local decided to offer a 'joints for jabs' offer to the people who got vaccinated on April 20 in New York City.

For those who indulge, 4/20 holds a special place as it celebrated to be the annual celebration of legalisation of marijuana.

To celebrate 4/20, the marijuana advocates AIDS coalition Act Up NY decided to use this celebration to bring focus on the importance of getting vaccinated against the coronavirus pandemic.

Keeping this in mind, the group organised a 'joints for jabs' camp in which they handed marijuana joints to anyone who was getting vaccinated. The event took place at Union Square in New York City, New York.

"The marijuana community supports the science behind the COVID vaccine and what better way to encourage cannabis users to get vaccinated than to give out free pot," activist Dana Beal said in a statement.

While the event concluded at 4:20 pm local time, Twitter took over the event and shared pictures, videos, and memes till days.

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Lol someone in Union Square Park who looks like the mayor of marijuana is handing out free joints to people who show their completed vaccine card for 4/20 
 
NYC is undefeated <a href="https://t.co/bdXTM3O6nq">pic.twitter.com/bdXTM3O6nq</a>
— Mike Murphy (@mcwm) <a href="https://twitter.com/mcwm/status/1384531948522049536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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joints for jabs in union square park ... herd immunity for stoners <a href="https://t.co/5LKsSYvGhp">pic.twitter.com/5LKsSYvGhp</a>
— dan q. dao (@danqdao) <a href="https://twitter.com/danqdao/status/1384612449593090055?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Out here in DC this morning volunteering with <a href="https://twitter.com/DCMJ2014?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DCMJ2014</a>! Celebrate 4/20 and keeping our community safe with the COVID-19 vaccine by finding a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/jointsforjabs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#jointsforjabs</a> gifting location today! We are in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/all8wards?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#all8wards</a>!! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Defendi71?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Defendi71</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VaccinateDC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VaccinateDC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RepealTheHarrisRider?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RepealTheHarrisRider</a> <a href="https://t.co/mmxAZnt1tb">pic.twitter.com/mmxAZnt1tb</a>
— Lia Kuduk (@lookoutlia) <a href="https://twitter.com/lookoutlia/status/1384502519934619649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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It doesn’t get much better than being handed a free joint after your second vax shot. 
 
Healthcare should always be like this! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JointsForJabs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JointsForJabs</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Happy420?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Happy420</a> <a href="https://t.co/jTdpFhf9BY">pic.twitter.com/jTdpFhf9BY</a>
— Genevieve (@gen_snap) <a href="https://twitter.com/gen_snap/status/1384569304218324994?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JointsForJabs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JointsForJabs</a> on U Street! <a href="https://t.co/sLOX1Wneby">pic.twitter.com/sLOX1Wneby</a>
— DC Marijuana Justice💨🏛💨🏛💨🏛💨 (@DCMJ2014) <a href="https://twitter.com/DCMJ2014/status/1384537227515076608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Krispy Kreme right now... <a href="https://t.co/B99H5eXand">pic.twitter.com/B99H5eXand</a>
— Jeff (@3rdbolt) <a href="https://twitter.com/3rdbolt/status/1384569105441828864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Some cities in India offered gold nose rings in exchange for getting vaccinated against coronavirus, Russian states offered ice-creams. A man in New York, however, came up with a unique and interesting idea.

Some cities in India offered gold nose rings in exchange for getting vaccinated against coronavirus, Russian states offered ice-creams. A man in New York, however, came up with a unique and interesting idea. A New York local decided to offer a 'joints for jabs' offer to the people who got vaccinated on April 20 in New York City. For those who indulge, 4/20 holds a special place as it celebrated to be the annual celebration of legalisation of marijuana. To celebrate 4/20, the marijuana advocates AIDS coalition Act Up NY decided to use this celebration to bring focus on the importance of getting vaccinated against the coronavirus pandemic. Keeping this in mind, the group organised a 'joints for jabs' camp in which they handed marijuana joints to anyone who was getting vaccinated. The event took place at Union Square in New York City, New York. "The marijuana community supports the science behind the COVID vaccine and what better way to encourage cannabis users to get vaccinated than to give out free pot," activist Dana Beal said in a statement. While the event concluded at 4:20 pm local time, Twitter took over the event and shared pictures, videos, and memes till days. Lol someone in Union Square Park who looks like the mayor of marijuana is handing out free joints to people who show their completed vaccine card for 4/20 NYC is undefeated pic.twitter.com/bdXTM3O6nq — Mike Murphy (@mcwm) April 20, 2021 × joints for jabs in union square park ... herd immunity for stoners pic.twitter.com/5LKsSYvGhp — dan q. dao (@danqdao) April 20, 2021 × Out here in DC this morning volunteering with @DCMJ2014! Celebrate 4/20 and keeping our community safe with the COVID-19 vaccine by finding a #jointsforjabs gifting location today! We are in #all8wards!! #Defendi71 #VaccinateDC #RepealTheHarrisRider pic.twitter.com/mmxAZnt1tb — Lia Kuduk (@lookoutlia) April 20, 2021 × It doesn’t get much better than being handed a free joint after your second vax shot. Healthcare should always be like this! #JointsForJabs #Happy420 pic.twitter.com/jTdpFhf9BY — Genevieve (@gen_snap) April 20, 2021 × #JointsForJabs on U Street! pic.twitter.com/sLOX1Wneby — DC Marijuana Justice💨🏛💨🏛💨🏛💨 (@DCMJ2014) April 20, 2021 × Krispy Kreme right now... pic.twitter.com/B99H5eXand — Jeff (@3rdbolt) April 20, 2021 ×

High-ly suggested: NYC organises 'joints for jabs' to fight coronavirus

A Bangladeshi immigrant was handed a life sentence for trying to carry out a bomb attack in a crowded New York subway passage in the name of the Islamic State group.

On December 11, 2017 Akayed Ullah wounded himself and three other people in a botched blast in a tunnel below the Port Authority bus terminal near Times Square.

The bomb, which he strapped to his body with zip wires, failed to detonate as planned, and Ullah was left with burns to his torso and hands. His victims suffered minor complaints such as ringing in their ears and headaches.

There was panic after the explosion and Monday morning commute during the busy Christmas season was disrupted.

Ullah, who migrated to the United States in 2011, was found guilty on all six counts by a Manhattan jury on November 6, 2018.

The 31-year-old's convictions include supporting a foreign terrorist organisation, using a weapon of mass destruction and bombing a public place.

Judge Richard Sullivan said that although Ullah "ultimately failed" in the execution of the attack, it didn't make him "less culpable."

"Your conduct was truly heinous. This is about as bad a crime as there is," he said, handing down the life sentence.

Ullah's defense counsel had called for the mandatory minimum sentence of 35 years.

Ullah said what he had done was "wrong."

"I can tell you from the bottom of my heart I am deeply sorry for what I did," he told the sentencing hearing.

Ullah was caught on CCTV walking through the subway terminal and detonating the bomb strapped to his body.&nbsp; 
After his arrest, he allegedly told authorities: "I did it for the Islamic State."

Ullah is a lawful permanent resident of the US. He built the bomb in his apartment. packing the device with metal screws and Christmas tree lights, having planned the attack for several weeks.

On the morning of the bombing, Ullah posted a statement on Facebook referring to the US president saying: "Trump you failed to protect your nation."

(With inputs from agencies)

A Bangladeshi immigrant was handed a life sentence for trying to carry out a bomb attack in a crowded New York subway passage in the name of the Islamic State group.

A Bangladeshi immigrant was handed a life sentence for trying to carry out a bomb attack in a crowded New York subway passage in the name of the Islamic State group. On December 11, 2017 Akayed Ullah wounded himself and three other people in a botched blast in a tunnel below the Port Authority bus terminal near Times Square. The bomb, which he strapped to his body with zip wires, failed to detonate as planned, and Ullah was left with burns to his torso and hands. His victims suffered minor complaints such as ringing in their ears and headaches. There was panic after the explosion and Monday morning commute during the busy Christmas season was disrupted. Ullah, who migrated to the United States in 2011, was found guilty on all six counts by a Manhattan jury on November 6, 2018. The 31-year-old's convictions include supporting a foreign terrorist organisation, using a weapon of mass destruction and bombing a public place. Judge Richard Sullivan said that although Ullah "ultimately failed" in the execution of the attack, it didn't make him "less culpable." "Your conduct was truly heinous. This is about as bad a crime as there is," he said, handing down the life sentence. Ullah's defense counsel had called for the mandatory minimum sentence of 35 years. Ullah said what he had done was "wrong." "I can tell you from the bottom of my heart I am deeply sorry for what I did," he told the sentencing hearing. Ullah was caught on CCTV walking through the subway terminal and detonating the bomb strapped to his body. After his arrest, he allegedly told authorities: "I did it for the Islamic State." Ullah is a lawful permanent resident of the US. He built the bomb in his apartment. packing the device with metal screws and Christmas tree lights, having planned the attack for several weeks. On the morning of the bombing, Ullah posted a statement on Facebook referring to the US president saying: "Trump you failed to protect your nation." (With inputs from agencies)

New York subway bomber gets life in prison

New York's largest healthcare provider Northwell Health's Center for Traumatic Stress, Resilience and Recovery (CTSRR) is offering help to its 76,000 healthcare workers and their families impacted by COVID-19.

NY's largest hospital system creates mental health center for its workers impacted by COVID-19

New York City police has asked for the public's help in finding a man wanted for yelling anti-Asian slurs at a 44-year-old woman and her three children. The man reportedly also spat at her and kicked her cellphone off a subway train.

Police are calling the March 30&nbsp;incident a hate crime.

Authorities described the suspect as a dark-skinned man.

The woman was taken to a hospital in stable condition for observation, officers said.

Anyone with information about the incident is urged to call New York City police.

The attack was among the latest in a national spike in anti-Asian hate crimes. Four people, including a child, were killed in a shooting at a business complex in Orange, California, on March 31.

Eight people were shot to death by a gunman who went on a rampage at three day spas in the Atlanta area on March 16. And 10 people were killed on March 22 when a man opened fire at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado. The lone suspects in both those shootings were arrested.

New York City police has asked for the public's help in finding a man wanted for yelling anti-Asian slurs at a 44-year-old woman and her three children. The man reportedly also spat at her and kicked her cellphone off a subway train.

New York City police has asked for the public's help in finding a man wanted for yelling anti-Asian slurs at a 44-year-old woman and her three children. The man reportedly also spat at her and kicked her cellphone off a subway train. Police are calling the March 30 incident a hate crime. Authorities described the suspect as a dark-skinned man. The woman was taken to a hospital in stable condition for observation, officers said. Anyone with information about the incident is urged to call New York City police. The attack was among the latest in a national spike in anti-Asian hate crimes. Four people, including a child, were killed in a shooting at a business complex in Orange, California, on March 31. Eight people were shot to death by a gunman who went on a rampage at three day spas in the Atlanta area on March 16. And 10 people were killed on March 22 when a man opened fire at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado. The lone suspects in both those shootings were arrested.

Man on an NYC subway spits at woman, yells anti-Asian slurs

A year spent hiding at home from the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus</a> has given Anne Bertolino, 96, a lot of time to dwell on the past: the anti-Semitic abuse she suffered on the streets of Hamburg, Germany, as a child; the grandparents who pushed for her and her sister to leave the country for their own safety; and her mother, a widow who was killed in Auschwitz.

She has ached to return to a more normal life, when she socialized at a senior center instead of sitting in her apartment in Queens and watching old episodes of "The Jack Benny Program" and home makeover shows whose names she never learned.

“I am alone all the time so I have been thinking about the past a lot,” she said. “Unfortunately, I can’t forget anything. It drives me crazy.”

As millions of New Yorkers have gotten <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">vaccinated</a> and have begun to enjoy a taste of life after the pandemic, many like her have remained stuck at home. Bertolino, who uses a wheelchair and whose eyesight is fading, considered vaccine appointments unattainable, hidden behind an impenetrable tangle of websites.

Despite having been eligible for vaccination since January, only 42% of New Yorkers 85 and older have been fully vaccinated, according to recent city data, which has jolted community groups into action. For Jewish organizations, the fact that this age group includes many Holocaust survivors — some of their community’s most vulnerable and treasured members — has created an all-hands-on-deck emergency.

“The survivors serve a tremendous role in the community, more than I think a lot of them may realize,” said Avi Greenstein, the chief executive of the Boro Park Jewish Community Center, which has helped over 750 survivors get vaccinated in recent weeks.

He added: “The community looks at them and can say, ‘Wow, these people and their perseverance, this is the reason we are still around.’”

There are roughly 350,000 Holocaust survivors alive today, Jewish groups say, and New York City is home to one of the largest populations of them in the world. About 20,000 live in the five boroughs, 80% of those in Brooklyn, with an estimated 15,000 living in the suburbs, according to community leaders.

By now, all Holocaust survivors are over 75, and many live in financial hardship. Forty percent of survivors in the New York area live below the poverty line, according to Eric S. Goldstein, the chief executive of the UJA-Federation of New York.

It is one of several organizations that provide support services to Holocaust survivors, and in recent months it has helped 2,635 of them get vaccinated.

“No one is more deserving of community support than these people in their remaining years,” Goldstein said.

Bertolino finally received her first shot of the vaccine on a rainy day last month at an event for Holocaust survivors at a senior center in Flushing. She woke early to prepare for the excursion, donning pearls and a surgical mask for the occasion, and traveled across Queens in an Uber — her wheelchair in the trunk — with a home health aide.

“I can’t wait until everybody can come visit again,” Bertolino said, sitting in an observation area after receiving her shot in a mostly empty auditorium. “But you manage. You can get used to anything.”

Jewish groups have organized vaccination events across the city, getting senior centers, clinics and other sites to set aside time blocks when they can book appointments for groups of survivors.

The event Bertolino attended was organized by Selfhelp Community Services, which provides aid to more than 5,000 survivors of Nazi persecution in the New York area. It has helped more than 600 survivors get at least one dose of the vaccine, according to Hanan Simhon, who runs the group’s Holocaust survivor programs.

Eva Rose, 96, also trekked to Flushing from her home in Astoria to receive her first shot of the vaccine. She said the last year had been “very lousy.”

Like many survivors, she recounted a year filled with monotonous days watching TV and reflecting on the past, a rhythm broken only by visits from a home health aide or an occasional relative.

“I watch a lot of the news. The news has made every one of us crazy,” she said. “But I am still here, thank God.”

Rose, who was born in Hungary, said she lost 30 family members in the Holocaust and was a slave laborer at a facility next to Auschwitz that was owned by the German arms manufacturer Krupp.

She was one of the few workers there not killed in Auschwitz, she said. Krupp executives were later convicted of war crimes at the Nuremberg trials. The company now pays her a pension, but Rose said she views it as symbolic.

“Germany pays for some things, but they could never pay for what I lost,” she said.

Much of the assistance upon which elderly survivors rely is financed by the German government, which has paid more than $80 billion in reparations to the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, an organization founded in 1951 to negotiate on behalf of Holocaust victims.

The Claims Conference works with roughly 20,000 survivors in the New York area, said its president, Gideon Taylor. It spent $69.7 million on them in 2020 — on things like home health care, food and medicine, social activities and dental care — and expects to spend $73 million in 2021, he said.

On Wednesday, the conference announced a new program, funded by $13.5 million from the German government, to help survivors worldwide get vaccinated. It said the funds will pay for transportation to and from a vaccination site, counseling and follow-up care in dozens of countries.

Studies have suggested that older people are better able to cope with hardship and turmoil than the young, but for Holocaust survivors the picture can be more complicated.

The trauma of the Nazi genocide has indeed given them deep reserves of fortitude that helped them manage the pandemic, experts say. But that same trauma has lingered in their lives in ways that a year of isolation, anxiety and fear has done nothing to assuage.

“The pandemic is in no way the same as the Holocaust, but we do know that events can trigger deep and painful memories, and that is what has happened here for many people,” Taylor said. “Is it safe to go outside? How will I get food? When will I see my friends and family? How long do I have to hide from the world?”

He added: “The pandemic has been an intertwined story of renewed trauma and renewed resilience, both coexisting inside people at the same time.”

Mayor Bill de Blasio said he was moved after attending a vaccination event for Holocaust survivors in Borough Park, Brooklyn, and dedicated part of one of his recent news conferences to talking about and showing photos of his visit.

“I came away from this meeting, this moment with — just filled with hope and appreciation for a human strength and resilience and faith,” the mayor said at the news conference.

Bertolino said she and her sister left Germany on April 13, 1939, as part of an effort organized by a prominent Jewish woman in Hamburg. Thousands of Jewish children escaped Nazi Germany in similar convoys, called Kindertransport, that left German-occupied lands in the spring and summer of 1939. Most of the convoys went to Britain, but all of them stopped when war began that fall.

Bertolino said she lived with a Swedish foster family in the rural town of Mellerud for two years, a time she remembers as frightening but also filled with the kind of freedom she had never known under Nazi rule.

She left the town after two years and moved to Stockholm to work and live with other young Jewish refugees in an apartment paid for by the local Jewish community.

She never saw her family again. After the war she learned that her mother had been killed but her grandmother survived in the Theresienstadt concentration camp. Her grandmother went back to Hamburg and lived the rest of her days at a Jewish retirement home. Bertolino never got the chance to visit, but she can still recite its address.

She got married, had a daughter and moved to New York. But her daughter, now 75, has dementia and lives with caretakers elsewhere in the city. Bertolino has not had much company lately, aside from a home health aide who comes in the mornings.

Together, they watch the news sometimes. Lately, Bertolino has recoiled at reports of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.

“That is the kind of thing I have been on the receiving end of,” she said. “When I hear about things like that, it is like I can see my mother standing right in front of me.”

To busy her mind and pass the time, she tries to think about good things. Affectionate squabbles she would have with her husband over taking out the trash. Recipes she used to make when standing at the stove was not so hard. How her mother might react to the idea of her daughter’s 97th birthday in May.

And she repeats little sayings to keep her spirits up. A favorite: “What you cannot cure, you must endure.”

A year spent hiding at home from the coronavirus has given Anne Bertolino, 96, a lot of time to dwell on the past: the anti-Semitic abuse she suffered on the streets of Hamburg, Germany, as a child; the grandparents who pushed for her and her sister to leave the country for their own safety; and her mother, a widow who was killed in Auschwitz.

A year spent hiding at home from the coronavirus has given Anne Bertolino, 96, a lot of time to dwell on the past: the anti-Semitic abuse she suffered on the streets of Hamburg, Germany, as a child; the grandparents who pushed for her and her sister to leave the country for their own safety; and her mother, a widow who was killed in Auschwitz. She has ached to return to a more normal life, when she socialized at a senior center instead of sitting in her apartment in Queens and watching old episodes of "The Jack Benny Program" and home makeover shows whose names she never learned. “I am alone all the time so I have been thinking about the past a lot,” she said. “Unfortunately, I can’t forget anything. It drives me crazy.” As millions of New Yorkers have gotten vaccinated and have begun to enjoy a taste of life after the pandemic, many like her have remained stuck at home. Bertolino, who uses a wheelchair and whose eyesight is fading, considered vaccine appointments unattainable, hidden behind an impenetrable tangle of websites. Despite having been eligible for vaccination since January, only 42% of New Yorkers 85 and older have been fully vaccinated, according to recent city data, which has jolted community groups into action. For Jewish organizations, the fact that this age group includes many Holocaust survivors — some of their community’s most vulnerable and treasured members — has created an all-hands-on-deck emergency. “The survivors serve a tremendous role in the community, more than I think a lot of them may realize,” said Avi Greenstein, the chief executive of the Boro Park Jewish Community Center, which has helped over 750 survivors get vaccinated in recent weeks. He added: “The community looks at them and can say, ‘Wow, these people and their perseverance, this is the reason we are still around.’” There are roughly 350,000 Holocaust survivors alive today, Jewish groups say, and New York City is home to one of the largest populations of them in the world. About 20,000 live in the five boroughs, 80% of those in Brooklyn, with an estimated 15,000 living in the suburbs, according to community leaders. By now, all Holocaust survivors are over 75, and many live in financial hardship. Forty percent of survivors in the New York area live below the poverty line, according to Eric S. Goldstein, the chief executive of the UJA-Federation of New York. It is one of several organizations that provide support services to Holocaust survivors, and in recent months it has helped 2,635 of them get vaccinated. “No one is more deserving of community support than these people in their remaining years,” Goldstein said. Bertolino finally received her first shot of the vaccine on a rainy day last month at an event for Holocaust survivors at a senior center in Flushing. She woke early to prepare for the excursion, donning pearls and a surgical mask for the occasion, and traveled across Queens in an Uber — her wheelchair in the trunk — with a home health aide. “I can’t wait until everybody can come visit again,” Bertolino said, sitting in an observation area after receiving her shot in a mostly empty auditorium. “But you manage. You can get used to anything.” Jewish groups have organized vaccination events across the city, getting senior centers, clinics and other sites to set aside time blocks when they can book appointments for groups of survivors. The event Bertolino attended was organized by Selfhelp Community Services, which provides aid to more than 5,000 survivors of Nazi persecution in the New York area. It has helped more than 600 survivors get at least one dose of the vaccine, according to Hanan Simhon, who runs the group’s Holocaust survivor programs. Eva Rose, 96, also trekked to Flushing from her home in Astoria to receive her first shot of the vaccine. She said the last year had been “very lousy.” Like many survivors, she recounted a year filled with monotonous days watching TV and reflecting on the past, a rhythm broken only by visits from a home health aide or an occasional relative. “I watch a lot of the news. The news has made every one of us crazy,” she said. “But I am still here, thank God.” Rose, who was born in Hungary, said she lost 30 family members in the Holocaust and was a slave laborer at a facility next to Auschwitz that was owned by the German arms manufacturer Krupp. She was one of the few workers there not killed in Auschwitz, she said. Krupp executives were later convicted of war crimes at the Nuremberg trials. The company now pays her a pension, but Rose said she views it as symbolic. “Germany pays for some things, but they could never pay for what I lost,” she said. Much of the assistance upon which elderly survivors rely is financed by the German government, which has paid more than $80 billion in reparations to the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, an organization founded in 1951 to negotiate on behalf of Holocaust victims. The Claims Conference works with roughly 20,000 survivors in the New York area, said its president, Gideon Taylor. It spent $69.7 million on them in 2020 — on things like home health care, food and medicine, social activities and dental care — and expects to spend $73 million in 2021, he said. On Wednesday, the conference announced a new program, funded by $13.5 million from the German government, to help survivors worldwide get vaccinated. It said the funds will pay for transportation to and from a vaccination site, counseling and follow-up care in dozens of countries. Studies have suggested that older people are better able to cope with hardship and turmoil than the young, but for Holocaust survivors the picture can be more complicated. The trauma of the Nazi genocide has indeed given them deep reserves of fortitude that helped them manage the pandemic, experts say. But that same trauma has lingered in their lives in ways that a year of isolation, anxiety and fear has done nothing to assuage. “The pandemic is in no way the same as the Holocaust, but we do know that events can trigger deep and painful memories, and that is what has happened here for many people,” Taylor said. “Is it safe to go outside? How will I get food? When will I see my friends and family? How long do I have to hide from the world?” He added: “The pandemic has been an intertwined story of renewed trauma and renewed resilience, both coexisting inside people at the same time.” Mayor Bill de Blasio said he was moved after attending a vaccination event for Holocaust survivors in Borough Park, Brooklyn, and dedicated part of one of his recent news conferences to talking about and showing photos of his visit. “I came away from this meeting, this moment with — just filled with hope and appreciation for a human strength and resilience and faith,” the mayor said at the news conference. Bertolino said she and her sister left Germany on April 13, 1939, as part of an effort organized by a prominent Jewish woman in Hamburg. Thousands of Jewish children escaped Nazi Germany in similar convoys, called Kindertransport, that left German-occupied lands in the spring and summer of 1939. Most of the convoys went to Britain, but all of them stopped when war began that fall. Bertolino said she lived with a Swedish foster family in the rural town of Mellerud for two years, a time she remembers as frightening but also filled with the kind of freedom she had never known under Nazi rule. She left the town after two years and moved to Stockholm to work and live with other young Jewish refugees in an apartment paid for by the local Jewish community. She never saw her family again. After the war she learned that her mother had been killed but her grandmother survived in the Theresienstadt concentration camp. Her grandmother went back to Hamburg and lived the rest of her days at a Jewish retirement home. Bertolino never got the chance to visit, but she can still recite its address. She got married, had a daughter and moved to New York. But her daughter, now 75, has dementia and lives with caretakers elsewhere in the city. Bertolino has not had much company lately, aside from a home health aide who comes in the mornings. Together, they watch the news sometimes. Lately, Bertolino has recoiled at reports of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans. “That is the kind of thing I have been on the receiving end of,” she said. “When I hear about things like that, it is like I can see my mother standing right in front of me.” To busy her mind and pass the time, she tries to think about good things. Affectionate squabbles she would have with her husband over taking out the trash. Recipes she used to make when standing at the stove was not so hard. How her mother might react to the idea of her daughter’s 97th birthday in May. And she repeats little sayings to keep her spirits up. A favorite: “What you cannot cure, you must endure.”

The push to vaccinate 20,000 Holocaust survivors in New York

The legal marijuana industry is adding an estimated $2 billion to the economy of the Washington state and generating total tax revenues of more than $883 million, according to a new report.

A report by Washington State University has said that with the innovations and planned nurturing the cannabis industry can grow even more. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/five-white-house-staffers-fired-over-drugs-marijuana-use-371851">Also read: Five White House staffers fired over drugs, marijuana use</a>

Washington had become the first U.S. state to legalize recreational use of marijuana on December 6, 2012, second in recreational marijuana sales. The state had previously legalized medical marijuana in 1998. Under state law, cannabis is legal for medical purposes and any purpose by adults over 21.

The economic contributions of the cannabis sector are strong and growing. Among the findings of the report, marijuana excise taxes are the fastest-growing component of the Washington state’s general and selective sales tax revenue streams.

Here are the major study findings:

1. In 2020 the Washington cannabis sector contributed $1.85 billion to gross state product.

2. The sector, directly and indirectly, supported nearly 18,700 full-time equivalent jobs.

3. Retail cannabis sales grew 21% between 2019 and 2020 and grew 605% between 2015 and 
2020.

4. Marijuana Excise taxes are the fastest-growing component of the state’s General &amp; Selective Sales Taxes revenues.&nbsp;

The report is the first to detail the positive economic impacts associated with the state’s newest agriculture industry. It was compiled by Washington State University's Impact Center for the Washington State Cannabis Alliance.

(With inputs from agencies)

The legal marijuana industry is adding an estimated $2 billion to the economy of the Washington state and generating total tax revenues of more than $883 million, according to a new report.

The legal marijuana industry is adding an estimated $2 billion to the economy of the Washington state and generating total tax revenues of more than $883 million, according to a new report. A report by Washington State University has said that with the innovations and planned nurturing the cannabis industry can grow even more. Also read: Five White House staffers fired over drugs, marijuana use Washington had become the first U.S. state to legalize recreational use of marijuana on December 6, 2012, second in recreational marijuana sales. The state had previously legalized medical marijuana in 1998. Under state law, cannabis is legal for medical purposes and any purpose by adults over 21. The economic contributions of the cannabis sector are strong and growing. Among the findings of the report, marijuana excise taxes are the fastest-growing component of the Washington state’s general and selective sales tax revenue streams. Here are the major study findings: 1. In 2020 the Washington cannabis sector contributed $1.85 billion to gross state product. 2. The sector, directly and indirectly, supported nearly 18,700 full-time equivalent jobs. 3. Retail cannabis sales grew 21% between 2019 and 2020 and grew 605% between 2015 and 2020. 4. Marijuana Excise taxes are the fastest-growing component of the state’s General & Selective Sales Taxes revenues. The report is the first to detail the positive economic impacts associated with the state’s newest agriculture industry. It was compiled by Washington State University's Impact Center for the Washington State Cannabis Alliance. (With inputs from agencies)

Marijuana adds $2 billion to Washington state economy: Study

Trouble mounts for New York Governor Andrew Cuomo as another woman has now come forward to accuse him of kissing her aggressively on the cheeks. Sherry Vill added that she was left rattled and afraid to come forward with her account after this incident.

Sherry Vill is the latest woman to accuse Cuomo of 'kissing aggressively'

New York is set to legalize recreational marijuana after state lawmakers reached a deal to allow sales of the drug for recreational use. With this, New York will be the 15th US state to legalize marijuana.

New York to legalize recreational marijuana

The in-home vaccinations are free and are funded by the Yonkers Office for the Aging and Ro, a healthcare technology company.

Elderly in New York get vaccines at home

At least 14 other US states already allow residents to buy marijuana for recreational and not just medical use.

New York reaches agreement to legalize recreational marijuana

The US state of New York is close to legalising recreational use of marijuana, after Governor Andrew Cuomo and lawmakers reportedly reached an agreement.

The state legislature is expected to vote on the bill in the near future. If passed, New York will legalise the recreational adult use of cannabis - the 15th American state to do so.

According to the governor’s office, the legalisation could bring in $350 million annually after full implementation.&nbsp;A deal is close to being finalised, as reported by The New York Times on Thursday.&nbsp;

According to NYT, a large part of this money will be used for “equity” programmes and provide loans, and grants, especially to those who were disproportionately affected by the criminalisation of marijuana. Once passed, the possession of less than three ounces of marijuana will be allowed, and previous offences against people will be dropped.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/emissions-from-cannabis-production-are-driving-temperatures-high-369330" hreflang="en">Emissions from cannabis production are driving temperatures high</a>

The new agreement will impose a 13 per cent sales tax on cannabis sales. Out of this, 9 per cent will be meant for state use, while 4 per cent would go to localities.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the state intends to create an “Office of Cannabis Management” to provide licenses.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/young-adults-vaping-cannabis-more-likely-to-get-bronchitis-says-study-352232" hreflang="en">Young adults vaping cannabis more likely to get Bronchitis, says study</a>

Those aged 21 and above will be allowed to use marijuana, and delivery of the drug will be allowed. In addition, the state will allow the establishment of cannabis clubs. People will also be allowed to grow their own marijuana with over six plants allowed for personal use.

Recently, nearby areas like New Jersey have passed measures to legalise the recreational usage of cannabis for adults.

The US state of New York is close to legalising recreational use of marijuana, after Governor Andrew Cuomo and lawmakers reportedly reached an agreement. The state legislature is expected to vote on the bill in the near future.

The US state of New York is close to legalising recreational use of marijuana, after Governor Andrew Cuomo and lawmakers reportedly reached an agreement. The state legislature is expected to vote on the bill in the near future. If passed, New York will legalise the recreational adult use of cannabis - the 15th American state to do so. According to the governor’s office, the legalisation could bring in $350 million annually after full implementation. A deal is close to being finalised, as reported by The New York Times on Thursday. According to NYT, a large part of this money will be used for “equity” programmes and provide loans, and grants, especially to those who were disproportionately affected by the criminalisation of marijuana. Once passed, the possession of less than three ounces of marijuana will be allowed, and previous offences against people will be dropped. Also read: Emissions from cannabis production are driving temperatures high The new agreement will impose a 13 per cent sales tax on cannabis sales. Out of this, 9 per cent will be meant for state use, while 4 per cent would go to localities. The Wall Street Journal reported that the state intends to create an “Office of Cannabis Management” to provide licenses. Also read: Young adults vaping cannabis more likely to get Bronchitis, says study Those aged 21 and above will be allowed to use marijuana, and delivery of the drug will be allowed. In addition, the state will allow the establishment of cannabis clubs. People will also be allowed to grow their own marijuana with over six plants allowed for personal use. Recently, nearby areas like New Jersey have passed measures to legalise the recreational usage of cannabis for adults.

New York set to legalise marijuana for adult recreational use

A group of New York City business leaders has urged officials to refrain from raising taxes as it could jeopardize the state’s recovery from the pandemic and pressure companies to relocate their operations, triggering major economic losses.

World Business Watch: NYC business leaders warn new taxes could cripple city's recovery

A 68-year-old Sri Lankan man was riding the subway in lower Manhattan on Friday when another passenger yelled a racial slur and punched him in the head, leaving him bloodied and in critical condition.

On Saturday morning, a 66-year-old man of Asian descent was punched in the face on the Lower East Side.

Then Sunday came three more attacks, the police said: A woman of Asian descent was thrown to the ground in Midtown, another was hit in the face with a metal pipe on the Lower East Side and a third was punched twice in the face after she attended a demonstration in Union Square in support of Asian American victims with her young daughter.

The attacks around New York City over the weekend, coming as hundreds of marchers gathered in multiple protests to call for an end to such assaults, were yet more examples of violence directed at Asian Americans amid a new wave of xenophobia that emerged during the pandemic.

The assaults underscored the feelings of fear and vulnerability that had taken hold in the Asian American community, even before a shooting in the Atlanta area last week left eight people dead, including six women of Asian descent.

Katie Hou, 37, who is Chinese American and was attacked Sunday afternoon after she went to the demonstration in Union Square, said in an interview that she was recovering and hoped her encounter would not scare other Asian American people from speaking out.

“People need to be vigilant about their safety, but at the same time, we need to do something to stop this from happening again,” she said.

The police said they were investigating at least five different attacks that took place between Friday and Sunday, and three people have been arrested in connection with three of them.

But much is still not known about the victims or the attackers, at least two of whom appeared to be behaving erratically before the incidents.

In the assault on the subway, the man who was arrested, Marc Mathieu, posted a long, rambling video on Facebook the morning of the attack, in which he spoke unintelligibly about violent security forces working at the Staten Island Ferry, among other disjointed topics.

The man who attacked the woman after the demonstration Sunday pulled down his pants and exposed himself to witnesses and yelled at passersby, telling them they were going to jail, according to one witness of the attack.

Both of those cases are being investigated as hate crimes, the police said. But the criminal justice system has faced challenges in definitively proving racist motives in apparent anti-Asian crimes. Some advocates have pointed to shortcomings in the laws that govern hate crimes.

Police Commissioner Dermot Shea, during an interview with Pix11 on Thursday before the recent attacks, said the department was investigating 10 anti-Asian hate crimes reported through mid-March, compared to none in early 2020 before the pandemic reached New York.

The department recorded 29 anti-Asian attacks last year, including 25 that investigators believed stemmed from anti-Asian sentiment and the perception that the victim was carrying the coronavirus, according to police statistics released in January.

George O’krepkie, a witness to the subway assault, said the attacker threw what appeared to be a crumpled-up newspaper at the victim before charging at him and yelling a racial slur.

“He was on top of him,” he said. “Within seconds there was blood everywhere.”

The victim was taken to NewYork-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital in critical but stable condition. It was not clear if he had been released, but a man who answered the phone number listed for the victim declined to comment.

Mathieu was arraigned Monday on one count of second-degree assault, and prosecutors, who ultimately determine whether to charge anyone with a hate crime, said they were investigating if the attack constituted such a crime.

Relatives of Mathieu did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A lawyer for Mathieu declined to comment.

The police have not released the name of the man who they believe attacked a man on the Lower East Side on Saturday. That attack is also being investigated as a hate crime.

On Sunday, Hou, who works in accounting, said she had taken her 7-year-old daughter to a rally at Union Square to learn about racial tensions in America, particularly after the shooting in Atlanta. She said the two had left the rally around 11:30 a.m. when a man walked up to Hou and asked for a sign she was carrying that read, “Hate Has No Peace” and “Racist = Psychopath.”

She said she gave him the sign because she thought he wanted to protest. But he smashed it on the ground, she said. As she tried to confront him, he punched her twice in the face, she said, but the two did not exchange any words.

DeVonn Francis, 27, who witnessed the attack, said the man began yelling at people, saying they were going to jail. Francis and others followed the man to a nearby subway station, where he exposed himself before getting on the train and riding away.

Hours later Sunday, a 41-year-old woman of Asian descent was walking in Midtown on West 31st Street when she was grabbed from behind and thrown on the ground, police said.

Patricia Melendez, 37, was arrested on charges of assault and disorderly conduct. It was not clear if Melendez had a lawyer, and her relatives could not be reached for comment.

It was not immediately clear how seriously the victim was injured, but the police said they were investigating that attack as another possible hate crime.

Still later Sunday afternoon, a 54-year-old woman of Asian descent was walking on the Lower East Side when a man confronted her and struck her in the face with a metal pipe. Police did not name the victim, but said she suffered a laceration to her nose and was taken to a nearby hospital.

The police arrested Elias Guerrero, 38, on several charges including hate crime assault, resisting arrest and harassment.

A 68-year-old Sri Lankan man was riding the subway in lower Manhattan on Friday when another passenger yelled a racial slur and punched him in the head, leaving him bloodied and in critical condition.

A 68-year-old Sri Lankan man was riding the subway in lower Manhattan on Friday when another passenger yelled a racial slur and punched him in the head, leaving him bloodied and in critical condition. On Saturday morning, a 66-year-old man of Asian descent was punched in the face on the Lower East Side. Then Sunday came three more attacks, the police said: A woman of Asian descent was thrown to the ground in Midtown, another was hit in the face with a metal pipe on the Lower East Side and a third was punched twice in the face after she attended a demonstration in Union Square in support of Asian American victims with her young daughter. The attacks around New York City over the weekend, coming as hundreds of marchers gathered in multiple protests to call for an end to such assaults, were yet more examples of violence directed at Asian Americans amid a new wave of xenophobia that emerged during the pandemic. The assaults underscored the feelings of fear and vulnerability that had taken hold in the Asian American community, even before a shooting in the Atlanta area last week left eight people dead, including six women of Asian descent. Katie Hou, 37, who is Chinese American and was attacked Sunday afternoon after she went to the demonstration in Union Square, said in an interview that she was recovering and hoped her encounter would not scare other Asian American people from speaking out. “People need to be vigilant about their safety, but at the same time, we need to do something to stop this from happening again,” she said. The police said they were investigating at least five different attacks that took place between Friday and Sunday, and three people have been arrested in connection with three of them. But much is still not known about the victims or the attackers, at least two of whom appeared to be behaving erratically before the incidents. In the assault on the subway, the man who was arrested, Marc Mathieu, posted a long, rambling video on Facebook the morning of the attack, in which he spoke unintelligibly about violent security forces working at the Staten Island Ferry, among other disjointed topics. The man who attacked the woman after the demonstration Sunday pulled down his pants and exposed himself to witnesses and yelled at passersby, telling them they were going to jail, according to one witness of the attack. Both of those cases are being investigated as hate crimes, the police said. But the criminal justice system has faced challenges in definitively proving racist motives in apparent anti-Asian crimes. Some advocates have pointed to shortcomings in the laws that govern hate crimes. Police Commissioner Dermot Shea, during an interview with Pix11 on Thursday before the recent attacks, said the department was investigating 10 anti-Asian hate crimes reported through mid-March, compared to none in early 2020 before the pandemic reached New York. The department recorded 29 anti-Asian attacks last year, including 25 that investigators believed stemmed from anti-Asian sentiment and the perception that the victim was carrying the coronavirus, according to police statistics released in January. George O’krepkie, a witness to the subway assault, said the attacker threw what appeared to be a crumpled-up newspaper at the victim before charging at him and yelling a racial slur. “He was on top of him,” he said. “Within seconds there was blood everywhere.” The victim was taken to NewYork-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital in critical but stable condition. It was not clear if he had been released, but a man who answered the phone number listed for the victim declined to comment. Mathieu was arraigned Monday on one count of second-degree assault, and prosecutors, who ultimately determine whether to charge anyone with a hate crime, said they were investigating if the attack constituted such a crime. Relatives of Mathieu did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A lawyer for Mathieu declined to comment. The police have not released the name of the man who they believe attacked a man on the Lower East Side on Saturday. That attack is also being investigated as a hate crime. On Sunday, Hou, who works in accounting, said she had taken her 7-year-old daughter to a rally at Union Square to learn about racial tensions in America, particularly after the shooting in Atlanta. She said the two had left the rally around 11:30 a.m. when a man walked up to Hou and asked for a sign she was carrying that read, “Hate Has No Peace” and “Racist = Psychopath.” She said she gave him the sign because she thought he wanted to protest. But he smashed it on the ground, she said. As she tried to confront him, he punched her twice in the face, she said, but the two did not exchange any words. DeVonn Francis, 27, who witnessed the attack, said the man began yelling at people, saying they were going to jail. Francis and others followed the man to a nearby subway station, where he exposed himself before getting on the train and riding away. Hours later Sunday, a 41-year-old woman of Asian descent was walking in Midtown on West 31st Street when she was grabbed from behind and thrown on the ground, police said. Patricia Melendez, 37, was arrested on charges of assault and disorderly conduct. It was not clear if Melendez had a lawyer, and her relatives could not be reached for comment. It was not immediately clear how seriously the victim was injured, but the police said they were investigating that attack as another possible hate crime. Still later Sunday afternoon, a 54-year-old woman of Asian descent was walking on the Lower East Side when a man confronted her and struck her in the face with a metal pipe. Police did not name the victim, but said she suffered a laceration to her nose and was taken to a nearby hospital. The police arrested Elias Guerrero, 38, on several charges including hate crime assault, resisting arrest and harassment.

As protesters rally against anti-Asian hate, NYC records 5 attacks

An eighth woman -- a current aide -- to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has accused him of subjecting her and a female colleague to a series of unwanted, sexually suggestive remarks.&nbsp;

Alyssa McGrath told The New York Times that Cuomo called her beautiful in Italian, referred to her and her female colleague as "mingle mamas",&nbsp;asked why she wasn't wearing a wedding ring, and inquired about her divorce.

McGrath is the first current aide to come forward publicly on the mounting allegations of sexual misconduct against Cuomo, who is the subject of an impeachment investigation by the New York Assembly.

The 63-year-old governor has denied any wrongdoing, though he has acknowledged it had been a “custom” for him to kiss and hug people when greeting them. He has said he was sorry if his behaviour had made “people feel uncomfortable.”

McGrath was quoted by the New York Times as saying that the unnamed aide, a friend and co-worker, had related the alleged groping incident to her in detail after it went public. For her part, McGrath said the governor regularly engaged in what she described as flirtatious banter mixed with more personal remarks, as well as a subtle but steady effort to cultivate rivalry among female staffers in his office, according to the Times.

The Times said McGrath’s accounts were supported by contemporaneous text messages, emails and social media posts she shared with the newspaper.

Although McGrath did not accuse Cuomo of touching her, she said his conduct amounted to sexual harassment, perpetuated by secrecy and normalised inside his inner circle, the Times reported.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/how-cuomos-team-tried-to-tarnish-one-of-his-accusers-371113">Also read |&nbsp;How Cuomo’s team tried to tarnish one of his accusers</a>

One current staffer whose name has been kept confidential had accused the governor in an account published last week by The Times Union newspaper of Albany of groping her breast in the Executive Mansion last year.

McGrath accused the governor of making similarly suggestive remarks to the co-worker who later told The Times Union that she had been groped.

Cuomo has vowed to cooperate with the investigation overseen by the state’s attorney general while refusing to step down before the inquiry is concluded.

The flurry of allegations in recent weeks has led to a growing clamour among prominent fellow Democrats in New York for his resignation.

New York state Attorney General Letitia James last week named a team of outside lawyers to lead an investigation into accusations the governor harassed women through unwelcome, sexualised comments and inappropriate physical contact, including unsolicited kissing.

(with inputs)

An eighth woman -- a current aide -- to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has accused him of subjecting her and a female colleague to a series of unwanted, sexually suggestive remarks.

An eighth woman -- a current aide -- to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has accused him of subjecting her and a female colleague to a series of unwanted, sexually suggestive remarks. Alyssa McGrath told The New York Times that Cuomo called her beautiful in Italian, referred to her and her female colleague as "mingle mamas", asked why she wasn't wearing a wedding ring, and inquired about her divorce. McGrath is the first current aide to come forward publicly on the mounting allegations of sexual misconduct against Cuomo, who is the subject of an impeachment investigation by the New York Assembly. The 63-year-old governor has denied any wrongdoing, though he has acknowledged it had been a “custom” for him to kiss and hug people when greeting them. He has said he was sorry if his behaviour had made “people feel uncomfortable.” McGrath was quoted by the New York Times as saying that the unnamed aide, a friend and co-worker, had related the alleged groping incident to her in detail after it went public. For her part, McGrath said the governor regularly engaged in what she described as flirtatious banter mixed with more personal remarks, as well as a subtle but steady effort to cultivate rivalry among female staffers in his office, according to the Times. The Times said McGrath’s accounts were supported by contemporaneous text messages, emails and social media posts she shared with the newspaper. Although McGrath did not accuse Cuomo of touching her, she said his conduct amounted to sexual harassment, perpetuated by secrecy and normalised inside his inner circle, the Times reported. Also read | How Cuomo’s team tried to tarnish one of his accusers One current staffer whose name has been kept confidential had accused the governor in an account published last week by The Times Union newspaper of Albany of groping her breast in the Executive Mansion last year. McGrath accused the governor of making similarly suggestive remarks to the co-worker who later told The Times Union that she had been groped. Cuomo has vowed to cooperate with the investigation overseen by the state’s attorney general while refusing to step down before the inquiry is concluded. The flurry of allegations in recent weeks has led to a growing clamour among prominent fellow Democrats in New York for his resignation. New York state Attorney General Letitia James last week named a team of outside lawyers to lead an investigation into accusations the governor harassed women through unwelcome, sexualised comments and inappropriate physical contact, including unsolicited kissing. (with inputs)

Current aide accuses New York governor of suggestive comments, harassment

New York's state Assembly hired the law firm Davis Polk&nbsp;and&nbsp;Wardwell LLP to lead its investigation into Governor Andrew Cuomo over sexual harassment allegations, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Judiciary Committee Chair Charles Lavine announced&nbsp;on&nbsp;Wednesday.&nbsp;

Since Thursday, Chairman Lavine led a vigorous search for a top-flight firm to assist with the investigation. I have the utmost faith that Assemblymember Lavine and our Judiciary Committee will conduct a full and fair&nbsp;investigation,&nbsp;Heastie said in a statement.&nbsp;

Hiring Davis Polk will give the Committee the experience, independence and resources needed to handle this important investigation in a thorough and expeditious manner.&nbsp;

Leaders in the Democrat-controlled Assembly announced&nbsp;on&nbsp;Thursday that they would conduct an impeachment investigation into allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate&nbsp;behaviour&nbsp;by Cuomo, also a Democrat.&nbsp;

Attorney General Letitia James is also investigating claims that the governor sexually harassed or inappropriately touched several female aides.&nbsp;

Cuomo has denied touching any women inappropriately and has rebuffed calls for his resignation.&nbsp;

President Joe Biden said in an interview with ABC News on Tuesday that Cuomo should resign if the state attorney general's investigation confirms the claims against him.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

New York's state Assembly hired the law firm Davis Polk and Wardwell LLP to lead its investigation into Governor Andrew Cuomo over sexual harassment allegations, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Judiciary Committee Chair Charles Lavine announced on Wednesday.

New York's state Assembly hired the law firm Davis Polk and Wardwell LLP to lead its investigation into Governor Andrew Cuomo over sexual harassment allegations, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Judiciary Committee Chair Charles Lavine announced on Wednesday. Since Thursday, Chairman Lavine led a vigorous search for a top-flight firm to assist with the investigation. I have the utmost faith that Assemblymember Lavine and our Judiciary Committee will conduct a full and fair investigation, Heastie said in a statement. Hiring Davis Polk will give the Committee the experience, independence and resources needed to handle this important investigation in a thorough and expeditious manner. Leaders in the Democrat-controlled Assembly announced on Thursday that they would conduct an impeachment investigation into allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour by Cuomo, also a Democrat. Attorney General Letitia James is also investigating claims that the governor sexually harassed or inappropriately touched several female aides. Cuomo has denied touching any women inappropriately and has rebuffed calls for his resignation. President Joe Biden said in an interview with ABC News on Tuesday that Cuomo should resign if the state attorney general's investigation confirms the claims against him. (With inputs from agencies)

NY state Assembly hires top law firm for Cuomo investigation 

Two senators from New York joined in calls within Democrats demanding the resignation of Governor Andrew Cuomo after another woman came forward, accusing him of sexual misconduct.

So far, seven women have come out to speak against Cuomo’s actions. Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, who has been at the forefront of the #MeToo movement recently spoke in support of Cuomo’s resignation.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/another-women-accuses-andrew-cuomo-of-sexual-harassment-sixth-woman-to-come-forward-369307/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

They joined many other senators including US representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to call out Cuomo - the 63-year-old father of three daughters - who are all in their 20s. Cuomo has repeatedly denied the allegations. Additionally, he pointed how “reckless and dangerous” it is for politicians to not wait for all the factors to weigh in.

"Women have a right to come forward and be heard, and I encourage that fully. But I also want to be clear: there is still a question of the truth. I did not do what has been alleged, period," Cuomo was cited as saying by Reuters.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/sixth-woman-accuses-new-york-governor-cuomo-of-harassment-369231" hreflang="en">Sixth woman accuses New York governor Cuomo of harassment</a>

“Wait for the facts. An opinion without facts is irresponsible," he said.

Cuomo also recently said that he did not intend to make anybody feel uncomfortable, and apologised if he ever did the same.

"Due to the multiple, credible sexual harassment and misconduct allegations, it is clear that Governor Cuomo has lost the confidence of his governing partners and the people of New York," Schumer and Gillibrand, the two senators said in a collaborative statement.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/protesters-demand-new-york-governor-cuomos-resignation-over-sexual-harassment-allegation-367582" hreflang="en">Protesters demand New York governor Cuomo's resignation over sexual harassment allegation</a>

Multiple women have now accused Cuomo of sexual misconduct, ranging from flirting with them, to groping. By Friday, over 55 Democratic New York lawmakers were urging Cuomo to resign. In addition, the state legislature intends to begin an impeachment investigation keeping in mind the allegations.

Two senators from New York joined in calls within Democrats demanding the resignation of Governor Andrew Cuomo after another woman came forward, accusing him of sexual misconduct.

Two senators from New York joined in calls within Democrats demanding the resignation of Governor Andrew Cuomo after another woman came forward, accusing him of sexual misconduct. So far, seven women have come out to speak against Cuomo’s actions. Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, who has been at the forefront of the #MeToo movement recently spoke in support of Cuomo’s resignation. They joined many other senators including US representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to call out Cuomo - the 63-year-old father of three daughters - who are all in their 20s. Cuomo has repeatedly denied the allegations. Additionally, he pointed how “reckless and dangerous” it is for politicians to not wait for all the factors to weigh in. "Women have a right to come forward and be heard, and I encourage that fully. But I also want to be clear: there is still a question of the truth. I did not do what has been alleged, period," Cuomo was cited as saying by Reuters. Also read: Sixth woman accuses New York governor Cuomo of harassment “Wait for the facts. An opinion without facts is irresponsible," he said. Cuomo also recently said that he did not intend to make anybody feel uncomfortable, and apologised if he ever did the same. "Due to the multiple, credible sexual harassment and misconduct allegations, it is clear that Governor Cuomo has lost the confidence of his governing partners and the people of New York," Schumer and Gillibrand, the two senators said in a collaborative statement. Also read: Protesters demand New York governor Cuomo's resignation over sexual harassment allegation Multiple women have now accused Cuomo of sexual misconduct, ranging from flirting with them, to groping. By Friday, over 55 Democratic New York lawmakers were urging Cuomo to resign. In addition, the state legislature intends to begin an impeachment investigation keeping in mind the allegations.

Two New York senators join calls for Cuomo's resignation amid allegations of sexual misconduct

Restaurants in New York City and New Jersey will be able to increase indoor dining to 50% of capacity starting March 19, the governors of New York and New Jersey said Wednesday.

The announcement of the relaxed limits comes as New York and New Jersey continue to lead the nation in new <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus</a> cases. The states are both reporting a seven-day average of 37 new virus cases a day for every 100,000 residents, according to a New York Times database.

The change — which will take effect two days after St. Patrick’s Day, traditionally a busy day for restaurants and bars — will bring both places into line with dining limits in Connecticut and Pennsylvania.

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that his decision to expand dining in New York City was made “in partnership” with New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a fellow Democrat.

“We will continue to follow the science and react accordingly,” Cuomo said in a news release issued by both governors.

Cuomo had already announced that capacity limits for restaurants statewide outside New York City could expand March 19 to 75%, from 50%.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/a-governor-in-isolation-how-andrew-cuomo-lost-his-grip-on-new-york-368705" hreflang="en">A governor in isolation: How Andrew Cuomo lost his grip on New York</a>

The new half-capacity limit in New Jersey will also apply to casinos, salons and gyms. In addition, the maximum number of people permitted at private indoor gatherings in New Jersey is increasing to 25 people from 10. Outdoor gatherings can include 50 people, up from 25.

“We believe that when all factors are weighed, we can make this expansion without leading to undue further stress on our health care system,” Murphy said.

New Jersey was one of the last states to permit indoor dining to restart, and Murphy has faced pressure to expand capacity limits.

In New York City, restaurants have been operating with limited indoor capacity for months, including a shutdown from December to February when cases started to rise again. Restaurants are allowed to serve diners inside at 35% capacity, up from 25% a few weeks ago.

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The New York City Hospitality Alliance, an industry group, praised the new guidelines, saying they would provide much-needed relief to struggling restaurants.

“While city restaurants may not increase occupancy to 75%, like restaurants are safely doing throughout the rest of the state,” Andrew Rigie, the group’s executive director, said Wednesday, being able to go to 50% capacity in the city “is still welcome news to the battered restaurant industry.”

After the announcement Wednesday, employees at Pizza Moto, a pizzeria between Carroll Gardens and Red Hook in Brooklyn, gathered to discuss what it would mean for the restaurant. Pizza Moto opened for indoor dining for just a few weeks late last year before the shutdown in December.

Joe Blissen, the restaurant’s general manager, said that he believed Pizza Moto could safely restart indoor dining at 50% capacity because most of the staff would have received their second vaccines by March 19.

“We are just trying to be cautious to make sure everything is nice, clean and safe,” said Blissen, who got his second shot this week. “It’s reassuring to us that at least our staff will be safe.”

Chris Labropoulos, who works at the Buccaneer Diner in East Elmhurst, Queens, said that an increase to 50% would have little impact, because few people choose to dine indoors there. He could not recall the last time the diner, which opened in 1976, had reached maximum capacity under the state’s pandemic guidelines.

“A lot of people don’t come in as it is,” Labropoulos said, adding that most orders are for delivery or pickup.

In New Jersey, Murphy last eased restrictions on indoor dining before the Super Bowl, when he raised the limit to 35% and ended a 10 p.m. curfew.

Diners must continue to wear masks when not seated at tables, and seating at bars in New Jersey remains prohibited.

“Unlike some states, which are prioritizing, frankly, flat-out politics over public health — Texas and Mississippi come to mind — our mask mandate remains in place,” Murphy said.

Texas’ mask mandate ended Wednesday. Mississippi eliminated its mask rules a week ago over objections from federal health officials, who warned the step was premature.

Over the past week, there were an average of 3,322 new cases of the virus reported each day in New Jersey and 7,177 in New York, fueled in part by the spread of virus variants.

Researchers with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a study Friday that found that counties opening restaurants for on-premises dining — indoors or outdoors — saw a rise in daily infections about six weeks later, and an increase in COVID-19 death rates about two months later.

The study does not prove cause and effect, but the findings square with other research showing that masks prevent infection and that indoor spaces foster the spread of the virus through aerosols, tiny respiratory particles that linger in the air.

Restaurants in New York City and New Jersey will be able to increase indoor dining to 50% of capacity starting March 19, the governors of New York and New Jersey said Wednesday.

Restaurants in New York City and New Jersey will be able to increase indoor dining to 50% of capacity starting March 19, the governors of New York and New Jersey said Wednesday. The announcement of the relaxed limits comes as New York and New Jersey continue to lead the nation in new coronavirus cases. The states are both reporting a seven-day average of 37 new virus cases a day for every 100,000 residents, according to a New York Times database. The change — which will take effect two days after St. Patrick’s Day, traditionally a busy day for restaurants and bars — will bring both places into line with dining limits in Connecticut and Pennsylvania. Also read | New York City's public school system perpetuates racism, a lawsuit claims Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that his decision to expand dining in New York City was made “in partnership” with New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a fellow Democrat. “We will continue to follow the science and react accordingly,” Cuomo said in a news release issued by both governors. Cuomo had already announced that capacity limits for restaurants statewide outside New York City could expand March 19 to 75%, from 50%. Also read | A governor in isolation: How Andrew Cuomo lost his grip on New York The new half-capacity limit in New Jersey will also apply to casinos, salons and gyms. In addition, the maximum number of people permitted at private indoor gatherings in New Jersey is increasing to 25 people from 10. Outdoor gatherings can include 50 people, up from 25. “We believe that when all factors are weighed, we can make this expansion without leading to undue further stress on our health care system,” Murphy said. New Jersey was one of the last states to permit indoor dining to restart, and Murphy has faced pressure to expand capacity limits. In New York City, restaurants have been operating with limited indoor capacity for months, including a shutdown from December to February when cases started to rise again. Restaurants are allowed to serve diners inside at 35% capacity, up from 25% a few weeks ago. Also read | With Texas’ mask mandate over, workers worry about encroaching virus The New York City Hospitality Alliance, an industry group, praised the new guidelines, saying they would provide much-needed relief to struggling restaurants. “While city restaurants may not increase occupancy to 75%, like restaurants are safely doing throughout the rest of the state,” Andrew Rigie, the group’s executive director, said Wednesday, being able to go to 50% capacity in the city “is still welcome news to the battered restaurant industry.” After the announcement Wednesday, employees at Pizza Moto, a pizzeria between Carroll Gardens and Red Hook in Brooklyn, gathered to discuss what it would mean for the restaurant. Pizza Moto opened for indoor dining for just a few weeks late last year before the shutdown in December. Joe Blissen, the restaurant’s general manager, said that he believed Pizza Moto could safely restart indoor dining at 50% capacity because most of the staff would have received their second vaccines by March 19. “We are just trying to be cautious to make sure everything is nice, clean and safe,” said Blissen, who got his second shot this week. “It’s reassuring to us that at least our staff will be safe.” Chris Labropoulos, who works at the Buccaneer Diner in East Elmhurst, Queens, said that an increase to 50% would have little impact, because few people choose to dine indoors there. He could not recall the last time the diner, which opened in 1976, had reached maximum capacity under the state’s pandemic guidelines. “A lot of people don’t come in as it is,” Labropoulos said, adding that most orders are for delivery or pickup. In New Jersey, Murphy last eased restrictions on indoor dining before the Super Bowl, when he raised the limit to 35% and ended a 10 p.m. curfew. Diners must continue to wear masks when not seated at tables, and seating at bars in New Jersey remains prohibited. “Unlike some states, which are prioritizing, frankly, flat-out politics over public health — Texas and Mississippi come to mind — our mask mandate remains in place,” Murphy said. Texas’ mask mandate ended Wednesday. Mississippi eliminated its mask rules a week ago over objections from federal health officials, who warned the step was premature. Over the past week, there were an average of 3,322 new cases of the virus reported each day in New Jersey and 7,177 in New York, fueled in part by the spread of virus variants. Researchers with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a study Friday that found that counties opening restaurants for on-premises dining — indoors or outdoors — saw a rise in daily infections about six weeks later, and an increase in COVID-19 death rates about two months later. The study does not prove cause and effect, but the findings square with other research showing that masks prevent infection and that indoor spaces foster the spread of the virus through aerosols, tiny respiratory particles that linger in the air.

Indoor dining in NYC and New Jersey can go to 50% march 19, governors say

Another woman has accused New York City Governor Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment. The unknown staffer is the sixth women to accuse Cuomo of the wrongdoing.

Another women accuses Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment, sixth woman to come forward

For years, a generation of New York City taxi drivers who wanted to own their cabs were channeled into exploitative loans that left them deeply in debt, or even bankrupt. The city, which reaped hundreds of millions of dollars from the practice, ignored their plight.

On Tuesday, for the first time, the city announced a concrete plan to aid the drivers, who have been battered even more by the pandemic.

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a plan to spend $65 million of the money that the city expects to receive from the federal stimulus package to help restructure the loans that drivers obtained to buy medallions, the city permits that let them own their cabs.

The plan was not the full bailout that taxi drivers had wanted. It would still leave them in debt, with large monthly payments. But if successful, the program could eliminate hundreds of millions of dollars owed by drivers who fell victim to abusive lending practices and then were further devastated by the emergence of ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft and a big dip in passengers during the coronavirus outbreak.

“This new plan will be a difference-maker for many, many drivers,” de Blasio said during a news conference.

Critics, however, immediately took aim at the plan, saying it did not nearly go far enough.

“The mayor’s proposal is a disgrace and fails to deliver the significant relief drivers deserve,” said city comptroller Scott Stringer, who has endorsed a more ambitious proposal that could forgive much more debt with less city money. “There is no excuse not to address the crisis with a real solution. We have the means — we just need the will to meaningfully act.”

Still, the new plan marks the most significant step toward helping the city’s cab drivers since a spate of suicides drew global attention to their financial struggles in 2018 and 2019.

As The New York Times reported in a series of articles, a group of taxi industry leaders had artificially inflated the price of a medallion to more than $1 million from about $200,000. They channeled immigrant drivers into loans they could not afford, creating a buying spree that drove up the price of the permits, and then extracted hundreds of millions of dollars before the bubble burst.

During the bubble, government officials worsened the problems by exempting the industry from regulations. The city also chose to fill budget gaps by selling medallions and running ads promoting the permits as “better than the stock market.”

The city could still face a lawsuit from state Attorney General Letitia James, whose office investigated the crisis in response to The Times' series and found the city was chiefly responsible. James announced last year that unless the city bailed out cab drivers, she would sue the city for $810 million and give it to drivers. Her office did not respond to a request for comment about whether the mayor’s plan answered her findings.

Taxi industry leaders have long denied wrongdoing, describing their tactics as normal business practices and noting that regulators approved their methods. They have blamed the industry’s financial crisis exclusively on ride-hailing companies.

In recent years, competition from Uber, Lyft and other companies has reduced the amount of revenue that cab drivers can make by driving. And in the past year, the pandemic has almost entirely crippled the industry, leading many drivers to stop working entirely.

As of January, the latest month for which data is available, revenue for the industry was down 80% over the same month a year earlier. That was better than in the worst days of the pandemic in New York in March and April — but not by much.

Many drivers who own their cabs have gotten by because of the federal government’s enhanced unemployment program, as well as assistance from the Paycheck Protection Program, neither of which will provide support on a long-term basis.

The new plan from City Hall, called the Taxi Medallion Owner-Driver Relief Fund, will provide up to $29,000 in no-interest loans to each of the estimated 3,000 drivers who purchased their own medallion. (Thousands of other drivers work for large fleets that control more than 5,000 other medallions.)

The city’s plan is not nearly enough to bail out the drivers, who each owe about $500,000 in loans on average. But it is expected to be enough to allow drivers to strike deals with their lenders, many of which are eager to recoup as much debt as quickly as possible.

Several lenders — including the largest holder of medallion loans, private equity firm Marblegate Asset Management — have already indicated that they would be willing to whittle loans to a range of about $250,000 to $300,000 in exchange for a down payment.

On Tuesday, a Marblegate spokesman applauded the plan. “This proposal recognizes that taxis are a critical part of New York City’s infrastructure, and provides owner-drivers meaningful relief that will help them restructure their loans — lowering their monthly payments and bolstering their economic prospects, while stabilizing the industry,” he said.

Aloysee Heredia Jarmoszuk, head of the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission, which oversees the industry, said during the news conference that she had already spoken with several lenders.

“I expect the lenders will participate,” said Heredia Jarmoszuk, who was appointed by the mayor last year in part to fix the crisis. “We believe this program is a win-win for everyone.”

Advocates for taxi drivers said they, too, expect lenders to participate. But they said that was because the plan was a windfall for the banks without helping the drivers.

“All that this plan is going to do is going to get immediate cash into the hands of the lenders, while the risk remains on the borrowers’ necks,” said Bhairavi Desai, head of the Taxi Workers Alliance, which represents drivers. “This is absolutely a bailout — for the lenders. It does nothing to help the borrowers.”

Several members of the City Council also criticized the mayor’s plan, saying they had not been consulted before it was announced. Stephen Levin, a Brooklyn Democratic councilman who served on a task force that studied the issue last year, said the task force’s original plan would have provided much more relief at a lower cost.

That plan would have created a public-private partnership to raise money to help drivers.

“This is a huge missed opportunity,” Levin said. “But I am glad they are doing something.”

For years, a generation of New York City taxi drivers who wanted to own their cabs were channeled into exploitative loans that left them deeply in debt, or even bankrupt.

For years, a generation of New York City taxi drivers who wanted to own their cabs were channeled into exploitative loans that left them deeply in debt, or even bankrupt. The city, which reaped hundreds of millions of dollars from the practice, ignored their plight. On Tuesday, for the first time, the city announced a concrete plan to aid the drivers, who have been battered even more by the pandemic. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a plan to spend $65 million of the money that the city expects to receive from the federal stimulus package to help restructure the loans that drivers obtained to buy medallions, the city permits that let them own their cabs. The plan was not the full bailout that taxi drivers had wanted. It would still leave them in debt, with large monthly payments. But if successful, the program could eliminate hundreds of millions of dollars owed by drivers who fell victim to abusive lending practices and then were further devastated by the emergence of ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft and a big dip in passengers during the coronavirus outbreak. “This new plan will be a difference-maker for many, many drivers,” de Blasio said during a news conference. Critics, however, immediately took aim at the plan, saying it did not nearly go far enough. “The mayor’s proposal is a disgrace and fails to deliver the significant relief drivers deserve,” said city comptroller Scott Stringer, who has endorsed a more ambitious proposal that could forgive much more debt with less city money. “There is no excuse not to address the crisis with a real solution. We have the means — we just need the will to meaningfully act.” Still, the new plan marks the most significant step toward helping the city’s cab drivers since a spate of suicides drew global attention to their financial struggles in 2018 and 2019. As The New York Times reported in a series of articles, a group of taxi industry leaders had artificially inflated the price of a medallion to more than $1 million from about $200,000. They channeled immigrant drivers into loans they could not afford, creating a buying spree that drove up the price of the permits, and then extracted hundreds of millions of dollars before the bubble burst. During the bubble, government officials worsened the problems by exempting the industry from regulations. The city also chose to fill budget gaps by selling medallions and running ads promoting the permits as “better than the stock market.” The city could still face a lawsuit from state Attorney General Letitia James, whose office investigated the crisis in response to The Times' series and found the city was chiefly responsible. James announced last year that unless the city bailed out cab drivers, she would sue the city for $810 million and give it to drivers. Her office did not respond to a request for comment about whether the mayor’s plan answered her findings. Taxi industry leaders have long denied wrongdoing, describing their tactics as normal business practices and noting that regulators approved their methods. They have blamed the industry’s financial crisis exclusively on ride-hailing companies. In recent years, competition from Uber, Lyft and other companies has reduced the amount of revenue that cab drivers can make by driving. And in the past year, the pandemic has almost entirely crippled the industry, leading many drivers to stop working entirely. As of January, the latest month for which data is available, revenue for the industry was down 80% over the same month a year earlier. That was better than in the worst days of the pandemic in New York in March and April — but not by much. Many drivers who own their cabs have gotten by because of the federal government’s enhanced unemployment program, as well as assistance from the Paycheck Protection Program, neither of which will provide support on a long-term basis. The new plan from City Hall, called the Taxi Medallion Owner-Driver Relief Fund, will provide up to $29,000 in no-interest loans to each of the estimated 3,000 drivers who purchased their own medallion. (Thousands of other drivers work for large fleets that control more than 5,000 other medallions.) The city’s plan is not nearly enough to bail out the drivers, who each owe about $500,000 in loans on average. But it is expected to be enough to allow drivers to strike deals with their lenders, many of which are eager to recoup as much debt as quickly as possible. Several lenders — including the largest holder of medallion loans, private equity firm Marblegate Asset Management — have already indicated that they would be willing to whittle loans to a range of about $250,000 to $300,000 in exchange for a down payment. On Tuesday, a Marblegate spokesman applauded the plan. “This proposal recognizes that taxis are a critical part of New York City’s infrastructure, and provides owner-drivers meaningful relief that will help them restructure their loans — lowering their monthly payments and bolstering their economic prospects, while stabilizing the industry,” he said. Aloysee Heredia Jarmoszuk, head of the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission, which oversees the industry, said during the news conference that she had already spoken with several lenders. “I expect the lenders will participate,” said Heredia Jarmoszuk, who was appointed by the mayor last year in part to fix the crisis. “We believe this program is a win-win for everyone.” Advocates for taxi drivers said they, too, expect lenders to participate. But they said that was because the plan was a windfall for the banks without helping the drivers. “All that this plan is going to do is going to get immediate cash into the hands of the lenders, while the risk remains on the borrowers’ necks,” said Bhairavi Desai, head of the Taxi Workers Alliance, which represents drivers. “This is absolutely a bailout — for the lenders. It does nothing to help the borrowers.” Several members of the City Council also criticized the mayor’s plan, saying they had not been consulted before it was announced. Stephen Levin, a Brooklyn Democratic councilman who served on a task force that studied the issue last year, said the task force’s original plan would have provided much more relief at a lower cost. That plan would have created a public-private partnership to raise money to help drivers. “This is a huge missed opportunity,” Levin said. “But I am glad they are doing something.”

New York to spend $65 million to rescue cab drivers. Is it enough?

The Governor of New York has decided not to step down even after serious allegations against him. The decision remains the same even after top US officials demand his resignation.

New York: Andrew Cuomo continues to stay defiant

Another woman has come forward accusing the New York Governor Andrew Cuomo of making her uncomfortable through his inappropriate behaviour.

Recounting several unwanted advances at the workplace, a former aide of Cuomo has alleged him of making her feel uncomfortable in the starting years of her time at their offices in Albany.

Ana Liss, Cuomo's policy and operations aide, has accused him of awkwardly asking her if she had a boyfriend, calling her 'sweetheart' without permission and inappropriately touching her on her lower back at a reception.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/new-york-andrew-cuomo-apologizes-but-refuses-to-resign-367922">WATCH |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/new-york-andrew-cuomo-apologizes-but-refuses-to-resign-367922/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

She has also alleged that once kissed her hand when she got up from her desk. Liss claims that while she tried to dismiss these actions as harmless flirtation in the start, she later started viewing them as patronising and diminishing over time.

All of this happened in the starting years of her time at Cuomo's offices in the state capital Albany where she worked from 2013 to 2015. His actions were "not appropriate, really, in any setting," she said.

"Reporters and photographers have covered the governor for 14 years watching him kiss men and women and posing for pictures," Cuomo's senior adviser Rich Azzopardi said in response to the allegation which was first reported in the Wall Street Journal.

"At the public open-house mansion reception, there are hundreds of people, and he poses for hundreds of pictures," he said, adding, "That's what people in politics do."

This has come after Cuomo issued a public apology but refused to resign from his post over the allegations. He had also called for an outside review following a report of sexual misconduct allegations after two other former aides had accused him of the same.

Another woman has come forward accusing the New York Governor Andrew Cuomo of making her uncomfortable through his inappropriate behaviour. Recounting several unwanted advances at the workplace, a former aide of Cuomo has alleged him of making her feel uncomfortable in the starting years of her time at their offices in Albany.

Another woman has come forward accusing the New York Governor Andrew Cuomo of making her uncomfortable through his inappropriate behaviour. Recounting several unwanted advances at the workplace, a former aide of Cuomo has alleged him of making her feel uncomfortable in the starting years of her time at their offices in Albany. Ana Liss, Cuomo's policy and operations aide, has accused him of awkwardly asking her if she had a boyfriend, calling her 'sweetheart' without permission and inappropriately touching her on her lower back at a reception. WATCH | She has also alleged that once kissed her hand when she got up from her desk. Liss claims that while she tried to dismiss these actions as harmless flirtation in the start, she later started viewing them as patronising and diminishing over time. All of this happened in the starting years of her time at Cuomo's offices in the state capital Albany where she worked from 2013 to 2015. His actions were "not appropriate, really, in any setting," she said. "Reporters and photographers have covered the governor for 14 years watching him kiss men and women and posing for pictures," Cuomo's senior adviser Rich Azzopardi said in response to the allegation which was first reported in the Wall Street Journal. "At the public open-house mansion reception, there are hundreds of people, and he poses for hundreds of pictures," he said, adding, "That's what people in politics do." This has come after Cuomo issued a public apology but refused to resign from his post over the allegations. He had also called for an outside review following a report of sexual misconduct allegations after two other former aides had accused him of the same.

Another ex-aide accuses Andrew Cuomo of sexual misconduct

Many US states easing their restrictions, movie theatres have begun reopening one of the worlds most significant movie markets that is new york. But this comeback will be its own constraints, restrictions will include 25% occupancy or a maximum of 50 patrons. So what does this move holds for an industry battled by the pandemic for more than a year now?

United States: Can theatres afford re-opening with limited capacity?

Democrats are facing increasing challenges in the wake of sexual harassment allegations leveled against New York's governor Andrew Cuomo.

New York: Democrats face increasing challenges in wake of sexual harassment

Andrew Cuomo, governor of New York has refused to resign but have issued an apology for the sexual harassment allegations against him. 3 women had accused him of the charges.

New York: Andrew Cuomo apologizes but refuses to resign

Trouble continues to mount for New York's Governor Andrew Cuomo. Protesters gathered outside Cuomo's office, chanted slogans and also held up placards for the Governor to immediately resign.

Protesters gather outside Andrew Cuomo's office in New York

Maggie Cheng could stand to watch the video only once.

“I’ve never cried like that before,” Cheng said, describing her reaction to security footage that showed her mother being shoved to the ground last week on a crowded street in Flushing, Queens. “To see my mother get thrown like that, she looks like a feather. She looks like a rag doll.”

The attack on Cheng’s mother, which was highlighted by celebrities and gained widespread attention on social media, was one of four against Asian American women in New York City that day. Taken together, they stoked fears that the wave of racism and violence that has targeted Asian Americans during the pandemic was surging again in New York. Those concerns intensified after a man of Asian descent was stabbed Thursday night near Chinatown.

The number of hate crimes with Asian American victims reported to the New York City Police Department jumped to 28 in 2020, from just three the previous year, though activists and police officials say many additional incidents were not classified as hate crimes or went unreported.

Asian Americans are grappling with the anxiety, fear and anger brought on by the attacks, which activists and elected officials say were fueled early in the pandemic by former President Donald Trump, who frequently used racist language to refer to the coronavirus.

In New York City, where Asian Americans make up an estimated 16% of the population, the violence has terrified many.

“The attacks are random, and they are fast and furious,” said Jo-Ann Yoo, executive director of the Asian American Federation, a nonprofit network of community groups. “It has stoked a lot of fear and paranoia. People are not leaving their homes.”

The xenophobia and violence is compounded by the economic fallout of the pandemic and fears of the virus, which dealt a severe blow to New York’s Asian American communities.

Many of the attacks do not result in hate crime charges, because police need evidence that identity was the motivating factor, like an audible racial slur, a self-incriminating statement or a history of racist behavior by the attacker.

So far this year, three attacks on people of Asian descent have led to hate crime charges in New York. The most recent came Thursday, when a 36-year-old man was stabbed near the federal courthouse in lower Manhattan and taken to the hospital in critical condition, police said. A suspect was arrested that evening and later charged with second-degree attempted murder as a hate crime, as well as assault, forgery and criminal possession of a weapon.

A Police Department spokesman said the motives in last week’s attacks, including the one on Cheng’s mother, were unclear and that they were not currently being investigated as hate crimes.

Leaders who have pressed elected officials and police to confront the issue say the response so far has felt sluggish.

“I’m really angry,” Yoo said. “I’ve been asking for something, some kind of a proactive response from City Hall.”

Mayor Bill de Blasio said this week that the city was working to increase communication with community leaders, creating a website to help people report and respond to attacks, and focusing subway patrols on possible bias crimes. He also pointed to the Asian Hate Crime Task Force the department formed late last year.

“If you dare to raise your hand against a member of our Asian communities, you will suffer the consequences,” de Blasio said at a news conference.

Deputy Inspector Stewart Loo oversees the task force, which is composed of 25 volunteer detectives who speak 10 languages. He said it was designed to encourage Asian Americans who are reluctant to cooperate with police.

“The sentiment within the Asian American community is that the police either don’t care or are not doing enough,” he said.

The NYPD said it made arrests in 18 hate crimes involving Asian American victims last year and the cases are still pending.

But many Asian Americans feel that their complaints are not being taken seriously by police and prosecutors, said Chris Kwok, a board member for the Asian American Bar Association of New York.

“The political and social invisibility of Asian Americans have real-life consequences,” Kwok said. “The invisibility comes from Asian Americans being seen as permanent foreigners — they can’t cross that invisible line into becoming real Americans.”

Several highly publicized incidents early in the pandemic were not handled as hate crimes, Kwok said. If they had been, it “would have sent a signal that this was unacceptable and that if you were going to target Asian Americans, there would be consequences,” he said.

In April, a man doused a 39-year-old woman with a caustic chemical as she took the trash out in front of her home in Brooklyn, badly burning her face, hands and neck. In July, two men lit an 89-year-old woman on fire near her Brooklyn home, after which hundreds of New Yorkers marched in protest. Neither was classified as a hate crime.

The increase in attacks in the city mirrors a trend across the United States. Stop AAPI Hate, an initiative that tracks violence and harassment against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, recorded more than 3,000 reported incidents from the start of the pandemic, said Russell Jeung, one of the group’s leaders and chair of the Asian American Studies Department at San Francisco State University. Of those, at least 260 were in New York City.

These attacks have lasting effects, said Kellina Craig-Henderson, who works for the National Science Foundation and has studied the psychological impact of hate crimes. She said that people targeted because of their race and ethnicity can suffer ailments like post-traumatic stress disorder, often more acutely than victims of other crimes.

“If you’re a minority person and this happens to you, you’re going to be more fearful, you’re going to question your place in the world,” Craig-Henderson said.

She added that hate crimes reverberate through communities and can further marginalize them.

“It sends a message to others that they could be next,” she said.

Several Asian Americans who were victims of attacks in New York last year and reported them to the police said the scars were lasting.

Crisanna Tang was riding the subway to work one July morning when a maskless man spat on her and yelled that Chinese people had caused the virus. None of the other passengers intervened, Tang said.

“I was like, ‘Oh my god, I can’t believe this is actually happening to me,” said Tang, 31, a pathologists’ assistant at Jacobi Medical Center.

Now, Tang is hypervigilant. She started taking the express bus, which costs more than the subway. She stopped wearing a face shield to attract less attention. She carries pepper spray in her bag.

“I just wish these incidents would stop,” Tang said. “I am worried about the elderly community. I am really worried not enough is being done for them.”

Mimi Lau said strangers shouted racist slurs and threatened her physical safety twice last year, once on the D train and once outside the mochi shop she owns in Manhattan’s East Village.

“It made me think something was wrong with me,” Lau, 27, said.

Yen Yen Pong, 37, bought pepper spray after a maskless stranger accosted her last April in Queens, yelling racist remarks about the virus. After Pong tried to take a photograph of him, he snatched her cellphone and shattered it on the pavement.

Pong, who works at an asset management company, said she thought Asian American women were particularly at risk, an observation supported by Stop AAPI Hate data showing that Asian American women in New York were accosted three times as often as men.

“Number one, I am Asian. Number two, I am a woman,” Pong said. “What makes me a better target than that?”

The Asian American Bar Association of New York recently issued recommendations for ways to address the attacks, including clearer reporting mechanisms for victims and formalizing the Asian Hate Crime Task Force as a funded unit.

In September, more than 25 community groups condemned the task force, in part because of the effects that overpolicing can have on people of color, including Asian Americans, and because such a unit fails to address the root causes of anti-Asian racism.

Even with the task force working to expand outreach, details of attacks and harassment may never reach authorities. Activists say that many incidents go unreported, in part because of the stigma attached to them.

Sam Cheng, Maggie Cheng’s brother, said their mother spent hours in the hospital, where she got stitches for a deep gash in her forehead, and that she did not initially want to file a police report.

“She was trying to hide it,” Cheng, 28, said. “She doesn’t want any trouble.”

Two days after the attack, police arrested Patrick Mateo, 47. He was charged with assault and harassment, and later released.

The New York Times reached out to Mateo, who said in several text messages that he began to argue with the woman after she got too close to him in line at a bakery and that she later sprayed him with mace.

He wrote that he had told the woman “you are in america … NOT CHINA! Please give me space with coronavirus.”

Cheng said his mother’s memory of the incident was foggy, possibly because of the blow to her head, but that she did carry pepper spray and that she had taken it out during the encounter.

The Chengs urged people not to retaliate against Mateo. Maggie Cheng said her mother was eager to move on and returned to her routine the day after the attack.

“She didn’t want to live in fear or stay at home,” Cheng said.

Maggie Cheng could stand to watch the video only once. “I’ve never cried like that before,” Cheng said, describing her reaction to security footage that showed her mother being shoved to the ground last week on a crowded street in Flushing, Queens.

Maggie Cheng could stand to watch the video only once. “I’ve never cried like that before,” Cheng said, describing her reaction to security footage that showed her mother being shoved to the ground last week on a crowded street in Flushing, Queens. “To see my mother get thrown like that, she looks like a feather. She looks like a rag doll.” The attack on Cheng’s mother, which was highlighted by celebrities and gained widespread attention on social media, was one of four against Asian American women in New York City that day. Taken together, they stoked fears that the wave of racism and violence that has targeted Asian Americans during the pandemic was surging again in New York. Those concerns intensified after a man of Asian descent was stabbed Thursday night near Chinatown. The number of hate crimes with Asian American victims reported to the New York City Police Department jumped to 28 in 2020, from just three the previous year, though activists and police officials say many additional incidents were not classified as hate crimes or went unreported. Asian Americans are grappling with the anxiety, fear and anger brought on by the attacks, which activists and elected officials say were fueled early in the pandemic by former President Donald Trump, who frequently used racist language to refer to the coronavirus. In New York City, where Asian Americans make up an estimated 16% of the population, the violence has terrified many. “The attacks are random, and they are fast and furious,” said Jo-Ann Yoo, executive director of the Asian American Federation, a nonprofit network of community groups. “It has stoked a lot of fear and paranoia. People are not leaving their homes.” The xenophobia and violence is compounded by the economic fallout of the pandemic and fears of the virus, which dealt a severe blow to New York’s Asian American communities. Many of the attacks do not result in hate crime charges, because police need evidence that identity was the motivating factor, like an audible racial slur, a self-incriminating statement or a history of racist behavior by the attacker. So far this year, three attacks on people of Asian descent have led to hate crime charges in New York. The most recent came Thursday, when a 36-year-old man was stabbed near the federal courthouse in lower Manhattan and taken to the hospital in critical condition, police said. A suspect was arrested that evening and later charged with second-degree attempted murder as a hate crime, as well as assault, forgery and criminal possession of a weapon. A Police Department spokesman said the motives in last week’s attacks, including the one on Cheng’s mother, were unclear and that they were not currently being investigated as hate crimes. Leaders who have pressed elected officials and police to confront the issue say the response so far has felt sluggish. “I’m really angry,” Yoo said. “I’ve been asking for something, some kind of a proactive response from City Hall.” Mayor Bill de Blasio said this week that the city was working to increase communication with community leaders, creating a website to help people report and respond to attacks, and focusing subway patrols on possible bias crimes. He also pointed to the Asian Hate Crime Task Force the department formed late last year. “If you dare to raise your hand against a member of our Asian communities, you will suffer the consequences,” de Blasio said at a news conference. Deputy Inspector Stewart Loo oversees the task force, which is composed of 25 volunteer detectives who speak 10 languages. He said it was designed to encourage Asian Americans who are reluctant to cooperate with police. “The sentiment within the Asian American community is that the police either don’t care or are not doing enough,” he said. The NYPD said it made arrests in 18 hate crimes involving Asian American victims last year and the cases are still pending. But many Asian Americans feel that their complaints are not being taken seriously by police and prosecutors, said Chris Kwok, a board member for the Asian American Bar Association of New York. “The political and social invisibility of Asian Americans have real-life consequences,” Kwok said. “The invisibility comes from Asian Americans being seen as permanent foreigners — they can’t cross that invisible line into becoming real Americans.” Several highly publicized incidents early in the pandemic were not handled as hate crimes, Kwok said. If they had been, it “would have sent a signal that this was unacceptable and that if you were going to target Asian Americans, there would be consequences,” he said. In April, a man doused a 39-year-old woman with a caustic chemical as she took the trash out in front of her home in Brooklyn, badly burning her face, hands and neck. In July, two men lit an 89-year-old woman on fire near her Brooklyn home, after which hundreds of New Yorkers marched in protest. Neither was classified as a hate crime. The increase in attacks in the city mirrors a trend across the United States. Stop AAPI Hate, an initiative that tracks violence and harassment against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, recorded more than 3,000 reported incidents from the start of the pandemic, said Russell Jeung, one of the group’s leaders and chair of the Asian American Studies Department at San Francisco State University. Of those, at least 260 were in New York City. These attacks have lasting effects, said Kellina Craig-Henderson, who works for the National Science Foundation and has studied the psychological impact of hate crimes. She said that people targeted because of their race and ethnicity can suffer ailments like post-traumatic stress disorder, often more acutely than victims of other crimes. “If you’re a minority person and this happens to you, you’re going to be more fearful, you’re going to question your place in the world,” Craig-Henderson said. She added that hate crimes reverberate through communities and can further marginalize them. “It sends a message to others that they could be next,” she said. Several Asian Americans who were victims of attacks in New York last year and reported them to the police said the scars were lasting. Crisanna Tang was riding the subway to work one July morning when a maskless man spat on her and yelled that Chinese people had caused the virus. None of the other passengers intervened, Tang said. “I was like, ‘Oh my god, I can’t believe this is actually happening to me,” said Tang, 31, a pathologists’ assistant at Jacobi Medical Center. Now, Tang is hypervigilant. She started taking the express bus, which costs more than the subway. She stopped wearing a face shield to attract less attention. She carries pepper spray in her bag. “I just wish these incidents would stop,” Tang said. “I am worried about the elderly community. I am really worried not enough is being done for them.” Mimi Lau said strangers shouted racist slurs and threatened her physical safety twice last year, once on the D train and once outside the mochi shop she owns in Manhattan’s East Village. “It made me think something was wrong with me,” Lau, 27, said. Yen Yen Pong, 37, bought pepper spray after a maskless stranger accosted her last April in Queens, yelling racist remarks about the virus. After Pong tried to take a photograph of him, he snatched her cellphone and shattered it on the pavement. Pong, who works at an asset management company, said she thought Asian American women were particularly at risk, an observation supported by Stop AAPI Hate data showing that Asian American women in New York were accosted three times as often as men. “Number one, I am Asian. Number two, I am a woman,” Pong said. “What makes me a better target than that?” The Asian American Bar Association of New York recently issued recommendations for ways to address the attacks, including clearer reporting mechanisms for victims and formalizing the Asian Hate Crime Task Force as a funded unit. In September, more than 25 community groups condemned the task force, in part because of the effects that overpolicing can have on people of color, including Asian Americans, and because such a unit fails to address the root causes of anti-Asian racism. Even with the task force working to expand outreach, details of attacks and harassment may never reach authorities. Activists say that many incidents go unreported, in part because of the stigma attached to them. Sam Cheng, Maggie Cheng’s brother, said their mother spent hours in the hospital, where she got stitches for a deep gash in her forehead, and that she did not initially want to file a police report. “She was trying to hide it,” Cheng, 28, said. “She doesn’t want any trouble.” Two days after the attack, police arrested Patrick Mateo, 47. He was charged with assault and harassment, and later released. The New York Times reached out to Mateo, who said in several text messages that he began to argue with the woman after she got too close to him in line at a bakery and that she later sprayed him with mace. He wrote that he had told the woman “you are in america … NOT CHINA! Please give me space with coronavirus.” Cheng said his mother’s memory of the incident was foggy, possibly because of the blow to her head, but that she did carry pepper spray and that she had taken it out during the encounter. The Chengs urged people not to retaliate against Mateo. Maggie Cheng said her mother was eager to move on and returned to her routine the day after the attack. “She didn’t want to live in fear or stay at home,” Cheng said.

Attacks on Asian-Americans in New York stoke fear, anxiety and anger

Leading political figures in New York attended a rally in Manhattan Saturday in support of the Asian-American community targeted in random acts of violence recently.

New Yorkers rally against anti-Asian violence, NYC mayor attends rally

A second woman who worked under New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has stepped forward to accuse him of sexually harassing her.&nbsp;

Charlotte Bennett, an executive assistant and health policy of the New York administration until November, told The New York Times that Cuomo harassed her last spring when the coronavirus pandemic was raging in the state.&nbsp;

She said that the New York governor asked her several inappropriate questions related to her personal life, including age differences in romantic relationships.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/new-york-accused-of-misrepresentation-of-covid-deaths-363157/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"I understood that the governor wanted to sleep with me, and felt horribly uncomfortable and scared," Bennett said in the report.&nbsp;

Cuomo agreed for an independent probe, saying it will be headed by a former federal judge.&nbsp;

"I was trying to be a mentor to her. I never made advances toward Ms. Bennett nor did I ever intend to act in any way that was inappropriate," the New York governor said in a statement on Saturday.

The latest allegations come after New York City's Mayor Bill de Blasio joined a chorus of political leaders on Thursday demanding an independent investigation into the claims of another Cuomo aide who has also made accusations of sexual harassment.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/former-aide-of-new-york-governor-cuomo-accuses-him-of-sexual-harassment-349811">Former aide of New York Governor Cuomo accuses him of sexual harassment</a>

"We need a full and independent investigation," said Mayor Bill de Blasio, who is also a Democrat and long-time rival of Cuomo.&nbsp;

Lindsey Boylan, who worked under Cuomo from 2015 to 2018, said the New York governor kissed her on the mouth forcefully and suggested playing strip poker during a flight.

She also said Cuomo went "out of his way to touch me on my lower back, arms and legs."

Boylan made these allegations in a blog post published on Wednesday and she first opened up about her harassment in December last year in which she said Cuomo "sexually harassed" her "for years" in a tweet. 
&nbsp;

A second woman who worked under New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has stepped forward to accuse him of sexually harassing her. Charlotte Bennett, an executive assistant and health policy of the New York administration until November, told The New York Times that Cuomo harassed her last spring when the coronavirus pandemic was raging in the state.

A second woman who worked under New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has stepped forward to accuse him of sexually harassing her. Charlotte Bennett, an executive assistant and health policy of the New York administration until November, told The New York Times that Cuomo harassed her last spring when the coronavirus pandemic was raging in the state. She said that the New York governor asked her several inappropriate questions related to her personal life, including age differences in romantic relationships. Watch | "I understood that the governor wanted to sleep with me, and felt horribly uncomfortable and scared," Bennett said in the report. Cuomo agreed for an independent probe, saying it will be headed by a former federal judge. "I was trying to be a mentor to her. I never made advances toward Ms. Bennett nor did I ever intend to act in any way that was inappropriate," the New York governor said in a statement on Saturday. The latest allegations come after New York City's Mayor Bill de Blasio joined a chorus of political leaders on Thursday demanding an independent investigation into the claims of another Cuomo aide who has also made accusations of sexual harassment. Also read | Former aide of New York Governor Cuomo accuses him of sexual harassment "We need a full and independent investigation," said Mayor Bill de Blasio, who is also a Democrat and long-time rival of Cuomo. Lindsey Boylan, who worked under Cuomo from 2015 to 2018, said the New York governor kissed her on the mouth forcefully and suggested playing strip poker during a flight. She also said Cuomo went "out of his way to touch me on my lower back, arms and legs." Boylan made these allegations in a blog post published on Wednesday and she first opened up about her harassment in December last year in which she said Cuomo "sexually harassed" her "for years" in a tweet.

Another woman who worked under New York Governor Cuomo accuses him of sexual harassment

New York prosecutors investigating former president Donald Trump finances have financially received his tax returns. WION brings you more.

WION Dispatch: Donald Trump loses bid to keep records private

Basketball fans eagerly lined up on Tuesday (February 23) to watch the New York Knicks take on the Warriors, as New York City welcomed ticketholders at live sports events for the first time since the pandemic brought sports to a halt nearly a year ago.

'It feels amazing' - New York City arenas open doors to elated fans

Only 14 per cent out of 1 million office workers have returned to their desks. Will the pandemic led to the end of the offices, still remains a question especially in New York. A recent survey has also led work from home into the new normal and has been induced into the work culture.

Work from Home during pandemic became uncertain for offices

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