Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens Opens Cooling Centers During NYC Heatwave

By Emily Drooby

There’s a heat wave happening in New York City. However, in Williamsburg, local residents have solace from the heat. How? A Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens cooling center.

“Most of the people who do come here appreciate it so much,” explained Teddy Flaherty. He was visiting the center when Currents News stopped by.

“Just to sit, talk to friends, cool off a little while because the air conditioners are here, especially when the temperature goes over 90 or close to 90,” he said. “This is what we need.”

Teddy is just one of many locals who are taking advantage of the cool air. The center offers extended hours, cold air, cold drinks and sometimes even sweets.

These “cool centers” open up during times like this, when New York City is hit with a heat wave. It’s a way to keep people cool without breaking the bank.

“Some of the people want to do some savings of electricity,” said Marta Kustek, the program manager for Catholic Charities Northside Senior Center. “So many of the people, our members, don’t have strong enough AC at home.”

This center is located in Williamsburg, just off North 6th Street and Driggs Ave. If you’re not nearby but looking for a place to cool off, Catholic Charities has 16 other cooling centers across Brooklyn and Queens.

To find a cooling center near you, go to: https://maps.nyc.gov/cooling-center/

Currents News Update for Wednesday, 8/11/21

Young Catholics are hitting the streets, trying to help the homeless off of them.

The Hyde Amendment has been saved.

Facebook “likes” can now really equal prayers online. The social media app is using a new feature that allows users to ask for prayers directly.

With a Sandwich and a Smile, Catholics are Making a Difference for the NYC Homeless Population

By Emily Drooby

Rolling out the door of The Catholic Worker site and down the street to Sara D. Roosevelt Park in the Lower East Side are a group of young volunteers. But it’s not just a cart of food they’re carrying, but a cart of hope, explains longtime volunteer Rocco Troiano.

“We go out to people who are just having a rough time and we go out and show a little love, and give a little something, hot coffee, maybe a sandwich,” Rocco said.

Another young Catholic volunteer from Brooklyn, Tevin Williams, said what he saw was shocking.

“I thought it would be actually less so to see so many people need services, and need food and water,” Tevin said. “It’s kind of shocking for me, so that’s what’s prompting me to go back.”

Since July, the city moved 6,000 people from hotels back to barracks-style shelters despite the recent uptick in COVID cases.

The migration was just halted temporarily by a federal judge so the city can figure out a safer way to relocate people as complaints arise of unsafe conditions.

The problems and confusion are pushing many to find other places to call home, like this park in the Lower East Side, which has become a haven for the homeless. An estimated 2,000 people live on the streets and in the subway.

So, The Catholic Worker brings the help to them by delivering food right to the park, while still having daily help from their E. 1^st Street location.

Charles Augusta calls them a beacon of hope – especially during the pandemic.

“It was rough, but they didn’t give up,” Charles said. “They were the only place that you could depend on.”

Pope Francis Takes Phone Call During General Audience

Currents News Staff

Shortly before making his way down the stairs to greet an eager crowd of pilgrims, Pope Francis unexpectedly took a phone call.

He was handed the phone and stepped outside of the Paul VI Audience Hall for a few moments. There are no details about who the Pope spoke to or what the conversation was about.

He later returned to greet the pilgrims who came to see him, as he typically does after his Audience.

Elected Officials Sue New York City Over Vaccine Mandate for Indoor Dining, Gyms and Performances

By Jessica Easthope

We’ll see you in court. That’s attorney Mark Fonte’s response to a vaccine mandate he’s calling a ‘constitutional nightmare.’

“The first part of the 14th Amendment says every person and entity should have equal protection under the law. Restaurants are not being treated equally,” Mark said.

Later this month, New Yorkers will need proof of at least one vaccine to dine indoors, go to the gym or attend a concert. But the lawsuit being filed on behalf of elected officials representing Staten Island and Brooklyn, states it should be a personal choice.

“There’s a line that government right now is crossing that I think is inappropriate,” said Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis. “We should encourage the vaccination, we should not mandate they get vaccinated or carry passports to be a part of everyday society.”

Mayor Bill de Blasio is crediting the city’s recent incentives with a 40 percent increase in vaccines in the first week of August. But these elected officials say – don’t take the numbers from us.

“People shouldn’t listen to me telling them get a vaccine,” said New York State Assemblyman Michael Reilly. “Talk to your medical provider, talk to your physician and they’ll give you the best advice for you.”

The lawsuit is looking to put a hold on the mandate until a judge can rule on the case – it will be filed on Aug. 16.

Currents News Update for Tuesday, 8/10/21

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is resigning. After defending himself this afternoon against a state attorney general’s report that concluded he sexually harassed 11 women, the Democrat announced he was stepping down. Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul will take over in 14 days.

Several lawmakers representing Staten Island are suing the Big Apple over its vaccine mandate. Starting next week, all customers and employees of indoor bars, restaurants and other entertainment venues in the city have to show proof of vaccination. The politicians say that infringes on our rights.

The person who tried to send an envelope containing three bullets to Pope Francis has been identified. Italian police haven’t released a name, but say the sender is a French citizen. A postal worker in Milan spotted the suspicious envelope on Sunday and alerted police.

A Rwandan immigrant has turned himself in to police for killing a French priest. The suspect was out on bail awaiting trial for the 2020 arson at Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral in Nantes. investigators say Father Olivier Maire had offered him a place to stay.

Catholic Church in Armenia with ‘Big Heart’ Offers Services to Refugees

Currents News Staff

The Emili Aregak Center for children with special needs, in Gyumri, is one of many pastoral and humanitarian projects spearheaded by the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) and Caritas Armenia

Michael La Civita, CNEWA’s communications director, spent some time in Armenia in early June assessing the organization’s response to the country’s numerous challenges. One of these is continuing to meet the needs of thousands of families who were displaced by the war in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020.

“It was a difficult experience to see people who once had something and now who have nothing,” La Civita said. “Basically live in dormitories that are substandard, who would have nothing to eat, who would have nothing to drink, who would have nothing on their backs to wear, if it wasn’t for the Church, the local Catholic Church and other small groups assisting them.”

La Civita explains that the Catholic Church in Armenia offers assistance to refugees, not only from Nagorno-Karabakh, but from Syria as well. He says that although the Church is small and lacks resources, “it has a big heart and big spirit.”

“Faith is an important component of their lives. And perhaps that will be what carries them through,” La Civita said. “But [the war] has torn open their hearts and some old wounds. Many of these people lost their family in the genocide, which was 100 years ago.”

On June 24, La Civita, attended an audience the Pope held with representatives of organizations dedicated to supporting the Eastern Churches.

“He ended the audience with a visual that I remember quite well: when he visited Armenia in 2016,” La Civita said. “He and the Catholicos together released some doves as a sign of peace.”

It’s a vision of peace that has yet to be fulfilled. But the combined efforts of local churches and organizations like Caritas and CNEWA are a step in the right direction.

Cuomo Top Aide Resigns, Accuser Speaks Out, As Impeachment Looms

By Paula Katinas and Currents News Staff

WINDSOR TERRACE — The walls appear to be closing in on Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

In a fast-moving series of developments since the Aug. 3 release of Attorney General Letitia James’ report detailing allegations of sexual harassment committed by Cuomo, the New York State Legislature moved closer to impeaching the governor as calls by lawmakers for his resignation increased.

Three days after the attorney’s general’s report was released, the Albany County sheriff’s office said it had received a criminal complaint against Cuomo from a former executive assistant who accused him of groping her.

The executive assistant, Brittany Commisso, broke her silence days later in an interview with CBS This Morning: “I know the truth. He knows the truth. I know what happened and so does he. To me, this was a dream job. And it, unfortunately, turned into a nightmare.”

“Maybe to him, he thought this was normal. But to me and the other women that he did this to … well, it was not normal,” she added. “It was not welcomed. And it was certainly not consensual.”

On Aug. 8, Melissa DeRosa, the governor’s secretary who is considered one of his most trusted aides, resigned. DeRosa was mentioned numerous times in the attorney general’s report, which detailed her efforts to corral women to sign a letter defending Cuomo, as well as her part in an effort to discredit one of the governor’s accusers.

There are also signs that Cuomo is rapidly losing public support.

According to a Quinnipiac University poll released on Aug. 6, 70% of New Yorkers think the governor should resign and 55% believe he should face criminal charges. Another 63% of those polled said that if Cuomo does not resign, he should be impeached and removed from office.

Cuomo’s lawyers rebutted the accusations contained in James’ report and charged that the investigators were biased against him from the start.

“I know the difference between putting together a case against a target versus doing independent fact-finding with an open mind,” lawyer Rita Glavin said at a news conference on Aug. 6.

The New York Assembly’s Judiciary Committee, which is conducting an impeachment inquiry into Cuomo, notified the governor on Aug. 6 it was giving him until Aug. 13 to submit evidence rebutting the accusations against him.

The imposition of a deadline was seen by many experts as a sign the committee was wrapping up its inquiry and could soon take a vote on whether to impeach the governor.

Under New York’s Constitution, the Assembly would draft articles of impeachment and a trial would take place in the Senate. The senators and the seven judges who sit on the New York State Court of Appeals would serve as the jury. Senate Majority leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins would not be allowed to be a juror, since she is in the line of succession.

A simple majority vote is necessary for the Assembly to bring forth articles of impeachment. In the Senate, a two-thirds majority vote would be needed for conviction and removal from office.

During the impeachment process, Cuomo would have to step down temporarily from his duties as governor. Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul would assume those duties.

No timetable has been set, but the impeachment inquiry could be wrapped up in four weeks and a trial could begin in October.

Cuomo, a three-term governor, sexually harassed multiple women and retaliated against one of them for going public with her allegations, according to a 165-page report by New York State Attorney General Letitia James. The investigation also found that Cuomo’s actions violated state and federal laws.

Excluded Workers Fund Provides Pandemic Relief for Undocumented Immigrants

By Jessica Easthope

For the last year and a half, Sharon Pemberton says she’s had the weight of the world on her shoulders.

“I used to wake up at night saying ‘I’m going to get evicted if I don’t pay my rent’, I get so nervous,” she said with tears in her eyes.

As an undocumented immigrant from the Caribbean, when the pandemic hit and Sharon lost her jobs as a housekeeper and babysitter, she wasn’t eligible for any state or federal aid. She was left with nowhere to turn.

“I can’t just, when I stop working, get unemployment like a lot of people did,” she said. “I wasn’t getting anything, for me to get money in my hand I need to work.”

As of August 2020, 98 percent of unemployed undocumented workers had not received any pandemic aid. But earlier this month, Sharon said she got the miracle she’d been praying for: the Excluded Workers Fund – a $2.1 billion statewide relief package. Now undocumented workers are entitled to up to nearly $16,000.

“They have a million problems, trying to pay their rent, trying to feed their children, wondering where their next dollar is coming from and trying to eat so this means everything to so many people that are essential to our country,” said Diane Cantave, an organizer with Long Island Jobs for Justice.

The first-of-its-kind relief is based on a point system that offers two tiers of payment. Workers will need to prove they lived in New York State before the pandemic started and that they lost work during the health crisis.

“Everybody benefits form this fund, not just the excluded workers,” Diane said. “But people who are not undocumented workers do too, from the boost in the economy from the money they receive.”

The Excluded Workers Fund is showing Sharon there are people fighting for her and willing to help lift that weight off her shoulders.

Undocumented workers who lost a job during the pandemic can apply for the Excluded Workers Fund at ewf.labor.ny.gov

Currents News Update for Monday, 8/9/21

The State Assembly is meeting to discuss the possibility of impeaching Gov. Andrew Cuomo, calling the findings of the attorney general’s report deeply disturbing. The report concluded that Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women. This comes as one of the governor’s top aides resigns and one of his accusers spoke out publicly.

Police in Italy are investigating after an envelope containing three bullets was discovered addressed to Pope Francis. Postal workers in Milan intercepted the suspicious letter from France. So far, no comment from the Vatican.

Help is on the way for undocumented workers in New York. The “Excluded Workers Fund” is for people who were previously left out of COVID relief programs because of their documentation status.

On Capitol Hill, the Senate is set to vote on President Biden’s massive 1.2 trillion dollar infrastructure package. The bill, which calls for $550 billion dollars in new spending on transportation, utilities and broadband, is expected to get through the chamber with bipartisan support early this week.