Caribbean American Weekly - Issue 165

US

Elections: A Defining Moment for the World

BY SIR RONALD SANDERS

That is the judgement of no less a person than the President of the United States of America (US), Joseph Biden Jr. The president made this riveting statement on November 2 in the heart of the Nation’s capital, Washington, DC.

Biden cited several incidents as evi dence for his worrying statement. These included an invasion of the home of the House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, and a sav age attack by an intruder on her 82-yearold husband, Paul Pelosi, who was struck

continued on page 4

BY LINDA NWOKE

On October 4, Senator Zellnor Myrie was awarded a national leadership honor by the Council of State Government. Our Editor-in-Chief and Host of People, Power & Politics, Pearl Phillip, sat with the State Senator representing the 20th district in Brooklyn, New York, to chat on issues within his constituency

continued on page 10

Senator Zellnor Myrie

Photo courtesy Senator Zellnor Myrie Office.

Caribbean Consulates

Anguilla

845 Third Avenue New York, N.Y. 10022 Tel: 212-745-0200

Antigua & Barbuda 305 East 47th Street, Suite 6A New York, N.Y. 10020 Tel: 212-541-4117

The Bahamas 231 East 46th Street New York, N.Y. 10017

Tel: 212-421-6420

Barbados 820 Second Avenue, 5th Floor New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-551-4325

Belize 675 Third Avenue, Suite 1911 New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-593-0999

Dominica 685 Third Avenue, 11th Floor New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-949-0853

Dominican Republic 1500 Broadway, Suite 410 New York, N.Y. 10036 Tel: 212-599-8478

Grenada 685 Third Avenue, Suite 1101 New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-599-0301

Guyana 308 West 38th Street New York, N.Y. 10018 Tel: 212-947-5119

Haiti 555 5th Ave 3rd Floor New York, NY 10017 Tel: 212-697-9767

Jamaica 767 Third Avenue, 2nd Floor New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-935-9000

Martinique

444 Madison Avenue, 16th Floor New York, N.Y. 10022 Tel: 212-838-6887

Montserrat 845 Third Avenue New York, N.Y. 10022 Tel: 212-745-0200

Panama 1212 Avenue of the Americas, 20th Floor New York, N.Y. 10036

Tel: 212-840-2450

St. Kitts & Nevis

414 East 75th Street, 5th Floor New York, N.Y. 10021

Tel: 212-535-5521

St. Lucia 630 Third Avenue, 7th Floor New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-697-9360

St. Maarten

675 Third Avenue, Suite 1807 New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 800-786-2278

St. Vincent & The Grenadines

801 Second Avenue, 4th Floor New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-687-4981

Trinidad & Tobago 125 Maiden Lane, 4th Floor New York, N.Y. 10038 Tel: 212-682-7272

For more Consulate information go to www.cawnyc.com/directory

Collaboration Essential to Make Promise of Health a Reality for Everyone Across the Americas

Boston, (PAHO): During the annu al meeting of the American Public Health Association (APHA), the Deputy Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Mary Lou Valdez underscored the need to make use of collective resources and expertise to tackle pervasive health dis parities across the region.

“For over a century, the Americas have relied on cooperation because our health, security and prosperity are interdepen dent,” Valdez said at the Global Health Leaders’ Breakfast hosted by APHA’s Executive Director, Dr. Georges Benjamin, to mark the Association’s 150th and PAHO’s 120th anniversaries.

“As we recover and rebuild from this pandemic, we must continue to work together, as a region, to overcome the obstacles that stand between us and a resilient, healthy future,” the PAHO Deputy Director said.

Particularly in the face of global chal lenges such as climate change, it is criti cal that “our populations can count on

health systems to offer the care they need to remain healthy,” she said.

She recalled that much has been accomplished in public health through solidarity and cooperation: since PAHO’s inception in 1902, the region has eliminated diseases that long threat ened the peoples of the Americas, such as polio, measles, rubella and neonatal tetanus.

The Deputy Director highlighted that the Americas was the only global region

to work as a bloc to purchase COVID-19 vaccines through PAHO’s Revolving Fund. “These efforts have helped us to administer over two billion COVID-19 vaccines across the region.”

She added that donations of COVID-19 vaccines from the United States “were a critical lifeline” for countries in Latin America and the Caribbean when manu facturers faced supply constraints.

PAHO participated in several events dur ing the 2022 APHA annual meeting, with PAHO experts presenting on topics such as the social determinants of health, uni versal access, health systems, and health equity.

Founded in 1872, the American Public Health Association (APHA) is the lead ing public health organization in the United States. APHA is at the forefront of efforts to advance prevention, reduce health disparities and promote wellness.

In December 2022, PAHO celebrates 120 years of active work in the field of public health in the Americas.l

Over 1 50 Judicial Officers Convene in Saint Lucia to Discuss Judiciaries in the Changing World

From 27th- 29th October, over 150 judicial officers, including Chief Justices, Judges, Magistrates, Registrars, and Court Administrators, from across the Caribbean, met at the Royalton Saint Lucia for the 7th Biennial Caribbean Association of Judicial Officers (CAJO) Conference under the theme ‘Caribbean Judiciaries in a Changing World’. The host judiciary for this year's Conference was the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court.

The Conference commenced with an opening ceremony which was attended by His Excellency Cyril Errol Melchiades Charles, Acting GovernorGeneral of Saint Lucia and featured thought-provoking remarks by the Honorable Dr Ernest Hilaire, Acting Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, the Honorable Dame Janice M. Pereira, DBE, LL.D, Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, Her Excellency Lilian Chatterjee, High Commissioner of Canada to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean and the Honorable Mr Justice Peter Jamadar, Chairman of CAJO and Judge of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). The Opening Ceremony’s keynote address was delivered by the Honorable Mia Mottley, SC, Prime Minister of Barbados.

In his remarks, the Acting Prime Minister Dr. Ernest Hilaire expressed his appreciation for the judiciaries in the region and affirmed the Government of Saint Lucia’s plan to have Saint Lucia accede to the appellate jurisdiction of the Caribbean Court of Justice in the short term. Dr. Hilaire also shared his hope that this Conference would better equip judges to navigate their roles during what he characterized as ‘this post-truth era’.

Her Ladyship the Hon. Dame Janice Pereira, DBE, Chief Justice, in her remarks, implored attendees to do every thing possible to keep pace with the changes in the judicial landscape and be ever engaged with an acute awareness of the challenges those changes bring. Her Ladyship further emphasized the impor

tance of developing new ways and means by which judiciaries respond to those changes in ensuring that “the quality of justice delivered is fit for purpose and meets the desired objective of upholding and maintaining the Rule of Law”.

Prime Minister Mottley, in her address, focused on the role of judiciaries across the region in setting the standards/bench mark on how justice is administered. The Prime Minister acknowledged and praised the judiciaries' response to tech nology and leading the charge concern ing standardized sentencing. Further, she called for regional unity in removing antiquity from our laws, as they result in more incarceration and less efficiency.l

Media Release and photo: Courtesy the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court

Mayor Adams Op-Ed: Rikers Reform

When I came into office as the 110th Mayor, there was no question that the city’s main jail, Rikers Island, was in serious need of reform and repair. Anyone who has set foot in Rikers in years past, from family members to correction officers to those awaiting trial, have seen with their own eyes what decades of disinvestment look like: peeling paint, crowded facilities, unsafe conditions for staff and detainees alike.

Decades of mismanagement and neg lect had created a culture of dysfunction that became normalized. Staffing short ages, assaults, deaths, and drug overdos es were on the rise and became even worse during the COVID-19 pandemic.

And while there are no quick or easy solutions to reforming Rikers, I can tell New Yorkers this: the era of neglect is over, and the era of reform is underway.

My Administration is moving quickly to address these issues, and under the leadership of Commissioner Molina, we are already seeing results. Through the Rikers Anti- Violence Action Plan and the Rikers Task Force we are making our jails safer, more humane, and more func tional, while working to reverse decades of neglect.

We are addressing staff shortages and investing in our workforce, upgrading the jails infrastructure, and taking steps to reduce violence behind bars. This year we have seen reductions in slashings and stabbings at the Department’s youngadult facility the Robert N. Davoren Center (RNDC), reductions in use of force incidents and assaults on staff, and increased searches for weapons and drug contraband.

Though we are only ten months into this new era, Commissioner Molina and the Task Force have already been singled out in the latest Nunez Monitor Status Report for their efforts to make progress. The latest report, released just last week,

stated that the Task Force has “effective ly resolved a number of issues that required multi-agency collaboration and cooperation.” The report also praised the Commissioner’s hiring decisions, clear mandates, and courage to make unpopu lar yet important changes.

We know that a tremendous amount of hard work lies ahead in order to make our jails safer, but I’m proud that the report recognized the work that Commissioner Molina and his team have already done within a short time.

We must give people the protections of the law as we enforce the law, whether they are serving time or awaiting trial. And we must protect those who work one of the toughest jobs in this city and the nation. New York’s Boldest must have the resources to protect themselves and the respect of all of those who rely on them to protect our city. Our correc tion officers work 12- 16hour tours, in a challenging and often stressful environ ment yet they do their jobs with dedica tion and honor. They are sometimes assaulted and face violent incidents. Our system must work for those who are incarcerated and the correction officers and non-uniform staff who care for them.

We must do more for our staff and per sons in our custody. And we must address the root causes of violence and crime. For far too long, the response to

this crisis has been downstream rather than upstream solutions.

I have often said, “if you do not edu cate, you will incarcerate.” But once incarcerated, we cannot give up on peo ple. We must do all we can to support and rehabilitate those who come through our system. That is why, for the first time, we will be testing everyone who comes through Rikers for dyslexia and provid ing support to those who need it.

We know that 48 percent of inmates at Rikers Island have mental health issues and that 40 percent are dyslexic. 80 per cent of the men and women on Rikers don’t have a high school diploma. We see the same young people continue to be arrested over and over again, but we don’t get them the interventions they need to succeed. We must break the cycle of incarceration with education, support, and opportunity. We must go upstream and keep our young people from falling into the river of violence.

Change does not happen overnight, and decades-long problems will not be solved in the first year of this Administration. But we have established a blueprint for real change, and we will not let this opportunity for change pass us by. We will continue to work with the Federal Monitor in achieving the Action Plan’s goals, and towards the goal of a safer and more humane jail system for all.l

TEAM

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. —Hosea 4:6

Publisher I.Q. INC.

Managing Editor & Editor-in-Chief Pearl Phillip

Legal Advisor Brian Figeroux, Esq.

Graphic & Website Designers Praim Samsoondar Kenrick Williams

Feature Writers Linda Nwoke Victoria Falk

Contributors

Jennine Estes Tarsha Gibbons Janet Howard Mary Campbell Travis Morales Chris Tobias Email info@myiqinc.com Telephone 718-771-0988 Website www.cawnyc.com

Mayor Eric Adams Editorial credit: lev

in his head with a hammer.

Speaker Pelosi has been the target of far-right supporters of former president Donald Trump, who never formally con ceded his overwhelming loss of the November 3, 2020, Presidential elec tions, and who is being investigated by a select committee of the US House of Representatives for his role in an inva sion of Capitol Hill with the intention of stopping the formal acceptance of the elections result. During the invasion, the rioters declared their intention to kill or maim House Representatives, particular ly Nancy Pelosi.

President Biden listed a long number of violations of democratic principles and values, including intimidation of early voters for mid-term elections to the Congress on November 8, and death threats to election officials and election workers in a number of states. The pres ident described this situation in the fol lowing stark terms: “This violence against Democrats, Republicans, and nonpartisan officials just doing their jobs, are the consequence of lies told for power and profit. Lies of conspiracy and malice, lies repeated over and over to generate a cycle of anger, hate, vitriol and even violence”.

Former president Barack Obama was sufficiently stirred by events that he felt constrained to return to the political hus tings to express grave concern about “this erosion of just basic civility and democratic norms”. He warned that: “If the Republican candidates here are suc cessful, Democracy as we know it may not survive in Arizona.” And, he added: “That’s not an exaggeration. That is a fact.”

These circumstances are being played out in the US, not in a country with an immature democracy or a record of dis regard for democratic principles of free dom, the rule of law and respect for jus tice.

Therefore, it is terrifying. For, if democ racy is overcome in the US in favor of fascism and tyranny, it will quickly spread the world over with troubling consequences.

Apart from the erosion of democracy elsewhere in the world, and the encour agement that will be given to politicians with autocratic tendencies, the advent of far-right representatives taking control, or significantly influencing, policies and laws created by the US Congress, has consequences for all developing coun tries.

It is well known, for instance, that Donald Trump and his supporters had lit tle time for developing countries and developed no policies to engage with their development issues. The descrip tion of some, mostly black States as “shit hole countries,” the manipulation of sev eral of them in the narrow pursuit of his own political agenda, and the rejection of issues and institutions of vital impor tance to them caused great alarm. Among the critical issues were the harmful impact of Climate Change and the with drawal of funding from the World Health Organization. The Trump posture remains, and, if anything, has been strengthened by the Republican candi dates who are vying for office on November 8.

Right now the Democratic Party has control of the Senate in the US Congress only because vice president Kamala Harris has a casting vote. The Senate is equally divided 50-50 between the Democrats and the Republicans. At the mid-term elections on November 8, 12 Democratic-held seats and 23 Republican-held seats are being contest ed. If the Democrats lose only one of their seats to the Republicans without winning two, the Senate will pass to Republican control.

The situation is worse for the US House of Representatives, all of whose 435 seats are up for grabs. The Democrats need to win 218 seats to maintain their majority. They now have 221 to the Republicans 211. It is only in recent days that polls are suggesting that the Democratic party could be victorious.

Should the Democratic Party lose con trol of Congress, the Republicans would not only frustrate the legislative program of the Biden administration, but they would also advance the policies that they favor, including selling guns; approving excessive behavior by the police force; ending a woman’s right to choose abor tions; closing US borders to immigrants; introduce harsh measures for dealing with refugees to severely reduce pro grams to help the poor. Aid programs to

developing countries will also assume a transactional nature, rather than respond ing to developmental needs.

It is normal in every election for polit ical parties and candidates to hold differ ing positions. While it should not be acceptable, it has become par for the course that, in their attempt to win votes, parties and candidates spin the truth, exaggerate, and talk down their oppo nents. However, in the run-up to these mid-terms, candidates of the extreme Republican right wing have been found lying, defaming, and preaching a toxic level of vitriol, including encouraging voter intimidation and tearing down institutions.

President Biden has also pointed out that, “there are candidates running for every level of office in America, for gov ernor, congress, attorney general, secre tary of state, who will not commit to accepting the results of the election that they’re running in. This is a path to chaos in America”.

In the context of all this, there is good reason to be alarmed about the threats to democracy in the US and, as a conse quence, to threats to freedom, democra cy, and the rule of law everywhere.

These mid-term elections might well be a defining event not just for the US but for the world in the struggle for supremacy between democracy and fas cism.l

Sir Ronald Sanders is currently Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States and the Organization of American States.

This commentary was written on November 4 prior to the elections. As of press time, control of US Congress is still undecided as mid-term vote count ing continues.

Buying an Older Home? Watch Out for These 3 Key Flaws That Could Spell Trouble

Are you a fan of homes with a bit more character than newer, mod ern designs? Whether in pristine condition or more of a "fixer upper," older homes are incredibly popular in cities across the country. However, there are some key factors to consider if you're thinking about buying a home built decades ago before modern standards were enforced.

Let's look at three key design issues that you will need to be aware of if you're thinking about buying an older house.

Old Electrical Designs Can Be a Significant

Fire Hazard

No matter when a home was built, it's almost guaranteed to have electrical wiring running through walls to supply rooms with lighting and power outlets. However, if the wiring was run in decades past it may be with older cords that are less able to withstand a modern workload. A quick check of the circuit-breaker panel or fuse box and the wires leading from it can give an idea just how old the wiring is. As older designs can be a fire hazard, you will want to ensure the wiring is up to date.

Poor Plumbing Design Can Lead to Rot or Worse

Plumbing can also be an issue in older houses – especially those in states that experience a cold winter. Water pipes tend to expand and contract due to tem perature, which can lead to stress and leaks over time. Moreover, even though older pipes are typically made of metal, they can still wear out. The last thing you

need is to wake up to a flooded basement, so be sure to have the plumbing profes sionally inspected.

Is the Roof and Insulation Strong Enough?

While the roof might look solid from the outside, it may not be as well put together on the inside. Even the smallest of holes or leaks in roof membrane can wreak havoc on the structural integrity of the roof. It's worth spending some time in the attic to inspect the inside of the roof, the condition of the insulation and how well the entire structure is holding up.

Guidance

While the above list might sound a bit scary, it isn't meant to turn you away from buying an older character home. If you're diligent in checking out the home's histo ry and invest in a professional inspection, you'll stay safe.

When you're ready to explore character home options in the local area, contact our professional real estate team. We're happy to show you around and share our guidance. Schedule an appointment today. Call us at 888-670-6791.l

Barbados to Become First Carbon-Neutral Small Island

BY LINDA HOHNHOLZ, ETN EDITOR

Imagine a flat, 430 sq. km. dot in the Caribbean – sun, sea, and sand included – totally powered by clean energy, a fully green vehicle pool, and solar panels on rooftops everywhere. Barbados will completely transform how it lives, works, and recreates – within a decade. But why such a huge leap? Aside from demonstrating ambitious climate leadership, the country has a complex mix of challenges that necessitates such a transformation.

To start, the island has a very narrow resource base. Tourism is the main export, which accounts for 40 percent of (direct and indirect) GDP. Otherwise, options to generate income are limited. This inevitably increases dependence on borrowing. The island does not produce enough food to meet demand and has very little in the way of oil, gas, or other valuable extractives. So import bills are exceedingly high. This small open econo my is, therefore, at the mercy of global markets and trends.

Next, add a yearly guarantee of bad weather from tropical Atlantic cyclones that can and have devastated Caribbean economies, societies, and natural envi

ronments – by as much as 200% of GDP in some cases. Then add climate change, which will make these systems much stronger and more common. It is an exis tential threat that Barbados simply does not have the luxury of ignoring.

A solution is needed that tackles multi ple fronts. One that promotes energy and food security, protects the environment, builds resilience to weather and climate impacts, and reorganizes fiscal space to better serve development priorities – to transform the island into the most sustain able version of itself.

The goal is to become carbon neutral while maintaining a protected environ ment, a stable society, and a sustainable and resilient economy. This commitment is rooted in the National Energy Policy 2019-2030. Over the next decade, Barbados will strive to:

• Substantially expand renewable energy (RE) generation, especially from solar, wind, and biofuel sources and phase-out fossil fuel-based generation.

• Shift society towards greener mobility by encouraging greater uptake of electric or hybrid vehicles (EVs).

• Improve energy conservation (EC) and efficiency (EE) through phase-outs of inefficient lighting and appliances and establishing standards to promote highefficiency products.

• Incentivize decarbonization, by provid ing technical and financial support, and instating fiscal measures (grants, loans, tax rebates and exemptions, import duty exemptions).

• Reform legislation and build capacity to facilitate an energy transformation.

While the island is still early in the implementation period, it can already identify some key driving factors. A flat tropical island like Barbados is a prime site to harness solar energy. From

the 1970s, the island has been a leader in the solar water heating (SWH) technolo gy industry. The island has (one of) the highest rates of SWH installations across the Caribbean, saving consumers between USD 11.5-16 million per year. The SWH legacy and experience pro vides impetus for the local solar photo voltaic (PV) industry to develop. The burgeoning electric vehicle market in Barbados is also encouraging. Incidentally, the recent surges in oil and gas prices globally have spurred more residents to invest in greener power and transport.

The impact of strong climate leadership and political will cannot be overstated. This is exhibited across Barbadian socie ty but is now most famously embodied within its Prime Minister, Mia Amor Mottley. She has emerged on the interna tional stage, advocating for Barbados and all small island states, in the face of the climate crisis. Her influence and charis ma in global dialogue earned her the Champion of the Earth award for Policy Leadership in 2021.l

Reprinted with permission.This is an abbreviated version. Read the full story at www.cawnyc.com

PM Hon Mia Mottley

Five Ways to Handle Difficult Family Members During the Holidays

BY JANET HOWARD

You have mixed feelings about the holidays. While on the one hand, you look forward to spending time with family, you are also apprehen sive. You may have experienced a testing time with difficult family members in the past. You wonder how it will be this time. There's that family member who is a manipulative, inconsiderate, know-it-all and wants to force their opinion on everyone. They are never satisfied and nothing you do is ever good enough for them.

Do you have to endure their company?

You may even have considered giving the family gathering a miss altogether. But that would mean not spending time with other family members whose com pany you enjoy.

So, what's the way out? Below are seven coping strategies that could help you not only survive the time with diffi cult people, but also enjoy it and main tain your sanity.

1. Shun divisive topics

Keep off topics that invite arguments. Avoid discussing politics, current events, and lifestyle choices. You probably know

the topics that bring out the worst in your difficult relative. However, sometimes a seemingly harmless topic could degener ate into an argument. If this happens, change the topic. And if someone per sists, say something like, "It's not impor tant. What matters is that we love one another and are all here to enjoy the hol idays."

2. Have an exit strategy

If someone persists in pursuing a contro versial subject, execute your exit strate gy. Excuse yourself to go to the bath room, and while at it, make a detour through the kitchen, the balcony, or whatever. In extreme cases and if the

time is right, you may leave the function, having informed the hosts beforehand that you'd be leaving early. Don't allow yourself to be persuaded to stay.

3. Avoid alcohol

Alcohol lowers your inhibitions and clouds your judgment. Under the influ ence of alcohol, you may speak your mind and voice hidden resentment. It could lead to an unpleasant situation with a difficult family member. Have your wits around you to help you maneuver the delicate situation.

4.Accept your difficult relative

Depending on the level and nature of the difficulty with your relative, you could just let it be and accept them as they are. Just this one time in the year, brace your self for the discomfort their presence causes. As long as you don't live with the difficult family member, just accept that Auntie Mabel will always poke her nose into everyone's business. Laugh off her comments and you will dissolve tension and hostility. After all, Auntie Mabel is 80 and belongs to a different generation.

As for the younger difficult family members, don't let them affect you. Their attitude has everything to do with their

own insecurities. Resolve not to let them bother you. Give thanks for family and count your blessings.

5. Allow yourself recovery time

Take time to recover from the stressful family time. When you're back in your safe space, spend time doing things you love and with people who affirm you. Depending on how heavy a beating you have received, you may want to schedule time with your therapist to vent your feel ings.

Final thoughts

Always bear in mind that you can always say "no" to it all. Every family is different and every situation is unique. Consider your situation and if meeting certain members of your family causes you dis tress to a harmful extent, you have the option of staying away. Decide if this is a difficult person, whom you can handle, or a toxic person, who affects your men tal and emotional health.

You can opt to spend time with just your partner or with friends who for whatever reason are not able to be with their family, or have no family. Don't compromise your health just to be with family.l

Background

Senator Zellnor, popularly called 'Z' by friends, is a Brooklynite born of immi grants from Costa Rica and a proud prod uct of the Central Brooklyn community. "So, I have the privilege to represent the community that made me who I am. The schools that invested in me, hardworking immigrants that provided for me and allowed me to flourish," he says. "Representing the community in the Senate has been an honor, hopefully for as long as the people will have me." The Senator also traces his lineage to Jamaica.

Deed Theft in Brooklyn

Within his constituency, the Senator is busy addressing a primary lingering con cern that has assailed the community for a long time. The report shows an extend ed existing fraudulent scheme that has ravaged homeowners since 2014 in Flatbush and Bed-Stuyvesant.

Homeowners have allegedly been tar geted by deed theft scheme fraudsters, which legal experts claim are hard to prove and prosecute. However, the Senator and other colleagues, like Senator Brian Kavanagh, on the NYS Senate Standing Committee on Housing Construction and Community

Development, are addressing ways to protect vulnerable owners.

The Senator recalls the devastating impact of deed theft by victims in their testimonies during the hearing. "One constituent reached out to me. She was in trouble trying to pay the mortgage. "He recalls, "She reached out to someone who presented themselves as a source of help. That person was a scammer, and she hid it from her family. When she finally told her brother the truth about what happened, her brother had a heart attack right before her and died."

The victim and numerous other home less persons shared stories of becoming victims of such schemes. The scammers,

he explained, target black communities, immigrants, and older communities. Unfortunately, there is evidence of decades of stolen wealth in equity from the people, with support from the system.

Senator Myrie explained that the courts and the public administrator's office had upheld the deception and schemes to take black people's homes. Therefore, the hearing was held to find solutions and gather enough information to turn the action into legislation.

"There has been a systemic effort to push blacks out, he says, to rob us of our wealth, and we have to stand up to it. The corruption must end," emphasized the Senator.

The Role of New Yorkers in Fighting Deed Theft

The Senator says that providing and informing appropriate bodies remains key to fighting the fraudulent scheme. He encouraged individuals with relevant incidents on home refinancing, the title of ownership, and others to reach out for help from the attorney general's office, legal experts, or the Senator's office.

"If you feel you are a victim of deed theft, I encourage you to contact the attorney general's office —Letitia James. I also encourage folks to reach out to an experienced attorney in the community that also help with this type of legal defense. However, because it's compli cated, they need more resources to help many individuals."

Several factors, like years of deception, and piles of paperwork, make the cases complicated and resource-intensive. However, it is crucial to reach out as soon as any homeowner suspects trouble.

Delivering Campaign Promises: Affordable Housing, Immigration Reform and Public Education

The constituents of District 20 are both diverse in demographics and economics, and their issues are complex. However, Senator Myrie is abreast of the chal lenges as a product of the same commu nity.

He shared examples of actions taken to address the various problems. For instance, in housing, passing the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act, pri oritizing the needs of homeowners by providing funds during the pandemic to settle bills, and advocating for victims of deed theft.

"Well, in 2019, we passed the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act,

which was the most progressive rent reform we have made in this state in almost half a century. It protects over 1 million rent-stabilized families living in New York homes. We brought down evictions in this state by nearly 30% after those rent reforms passed," he revealed.

Senator Myrie says that education has not been adequately funded. "We spend more money incarcerating one individual than we do to educate one child in this state. There is something incredibly wrong with that formula and with that process." Despite this, they raised over $3 billion between 2019 and 2020 for investment in public schools, which had never happened before.

On immigration reform, he explained that one of his achievements is fighting with others to allow undocumented immigrants to become qualified for a dri ver's license. "For a long time in this state, we did not allow undocumented immigrants to have a driver's license. We said you could pay taxes, contribute to our communities, and be an upstanding member of society, but we denied your driver's license. And we changed that when we got in," he explained.

Yet, he was quick to recognize the struggles facing many over affordable housing and the challenges with the pub lic schools in the state. In his view, set tling asylum seekers who arrived in the city over the past months remains a sig nificant challenge due to the crunch in affordable housing. While there are vacant buildings, many people cannot afford to live in them, as well as the ongoing spirited discussions on how schools should be run, who should attend, and others.

Despite the challenges, he feels satis fied with how far he has delivered on some campaign issues.

Crime and Politics in New York City

"Crime, unlike other laws and policies that come out of Albany, the City or Washington, D.C., is something that everyone intuitively understands," says Senator Myrie. Different from other soci etal ills, crime is complex, and finding the right policy to tackle it is not easy.

However, the Senator is focused on driving down dangerous activity, espe cially gun violence, in his district. "We have passed several national bills declar ing gun violence a public health crisis. We asked the state to spend millions of dollars annually to help hospital and community-based programs prevent and intervene when violence happens. But we also passed a bill holding the gun industry accountable."

There are ongoing political conversa tions on how to manage gun violence. Yet, the Senator encourages New Yorkers to pay attention and guard against being politically manipulated.

The conversation ended with Senator Zeller Myrie expressing gratitude for his family, especially his mother and people that believe in him; an important mes sage as we all look forward to the holiday season.l

Senator Zellnor Myrie/ continued from page 1

Senator Myrie in the community. Photo courtesy Senator Zellnor Myrie Office.

and New York City.

“Dusk and Darkness,” Multi-Agency Traffic Enforcement, Education Campaign Is Back

New York City Mayor Eric Adams recently announced the return of the city’s annual “Dusk and Darkness” traffic enforcement and edu cation campaign to keep pedestrians, cyclists, and all road users safe during fall and winter evenings, especially after the end of daylight saving time this Sunday, November 6. This year, the Dusk and Darkness campaign will focus on promoting safe practices for the carting of commercial waste — handled by pri vate companies — to protect workers and other road users, while the New York City Police Department (NYPD) will expand traffic enforcement of dangerous moving violations during the more dan gerous evening and overnight hours.

Launched in 2016 and now in its sev enth year, the Dusk and Darkness cam paign combines proven tactics to combat elevated rates of fatal crashes. During fall evenings, rush hour occurs at a time when sunlight and visibility are dramati cally and suddenly reduced, leading to some of the highest fatal crash rates of the calendar year. In the past, this cam paign has improved safety on city streets — reducing the average number of evening and overnight fatalities each year by 13.5 percent over the years it has been in place as compared to the five years prior. In that time frame, the aver

age number of pedestrian fatalities declined 21.7 percent and the average number of motor vehicle occupant fatali ties dropped by 25.8 percent.

“This initiative brings together three things our administration has focused on since day one: following the data, break ing down siloes between agencies, and keeping New Yorkers safe,” said Mayor Adams. “We have seen how dangerous the streets can be after the clocks change, and we are deploying targeted, proven strategies to give New Yorkers the tools they need to keep themselves and their neighbors safe. Street safety is public safety.”

“This goes for motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians: It’s on everyone sharing the road to be aware of each other, their sur roundings, and the heightened risks this time of year,” said Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks III. “At the end of the day, we want everyone to get home safely. Education and enforcement are key to making that happen.”

“As the days get shorter, it’s important we all travel through this city with cau tion and consideration for our fellow New Yorkers. I urge all drivers to keep their speeds low, bikers to wear reflective gear, and pedestrians to cross the streets with caution,” said Deputy Mayor for

Operations Meera Joshi. “I thank DOT, TLC, NYPD, and all the Vision Zero agencies for getting this important mes sage out and helping to keep our streets safe.”

“Our campaign this year will be a lay ered initiative of preventive policing measures designed to keep all road users safe — focused on increased enforce ment and education on the hazards of this time of year,” said NYPD Chief of Transportation Kim Y. Royster. “Prevention will be a key component to this seasonal initiative, and the NYPD will be utilizing data to inform our flexi ble deployment plan and conducting out reach to drivers to remind them that their choices matter behind the wheel.”

“Drivers must operate their vehicles responsibly every time they get behind the wheel, but as our days get shorter, they have a heightened responsibility to drive carefully to keep their fellow New Yorkers safe, especially in the evenings that we know are more dangerous,” said New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “Programs like Dusk and Darkness are great examples of how education and enforcement complement our safe street redesigns to combat reck less driving. We thank our sister agencies for their continued partnership.”l

‘‘Dusk and Darkness’ tips for drivers and pedestrians. Credit: New York City Department of Transportation

New Report Shows Disproportionate Abuse of Black Immigrants in Detention

BY RAUL PINTO

Black immigrants in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) dispropor tionately face abuse while in detention, a report released last week finds.

Published by several organizations including the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) and Freedom for Immigrants (FFI), the report argues that this discriminatory treatment of Black immigrants is the result of the legacy of anti-Blackness that permeates govern ment institutions, and the immigration detention system is no exception. The report calls for the end of immigration detention.

The groups analyzed thousands of phone calls made to FFI’s National Immigration Detention Hotline from 2016 to 2021 and included testimony of several Black immigrants who experi enced discriminatory treatment while detained in ICE custody.

While Black immigrants account for only 6% of people in ICE detention, they accounted for 28% of all abuse-related calls to the Detention Hotline. Further, more than half of the calls FFI catego

rized as high-intensity and life-threaten ing were made on behalf of Black immi grants.

This mistreatment was not isolated to a particular region of the country. FFI received complaints about discriminato ry treatment based on anti-Blackness from individuals detained throughout the country.

The report also highlights the need for the collection of race and ethnicity data

by the federal agencies tasked with enforcement. ICE does not keep data about the race or ethnicity of detained individuals and thereby avoids oversight and accountability. Watchdog agencies such as the Office of Inspector General and the Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties that respond to reports of ICE misconduct fail to maintain race and eth nicity data unless the complainants report it in the body of the complaint.

Accordingly, researchers investigating discriminatory treatment of Black immi grants have to conduct research by rely ing on detained individuals’ country of nationality as a proxy for race. In other words, researchers ascribe race to an individual based on whether they come from a country where the population is majority Black. This is not a perfect solu tion, as Black immigrants from countries that are not Black-majority are left out of the analysis.

To get a complete and accurate picture of what happens to Black immigrants in detention, the government must adopt policies requiring agencies to keep data on race and ethnicity.

From the atrocious living conditions at the Torrance County Detention

Facility—documented by DHS’ Office of Inspector General—to the complaints filed on behalf of immigrants who expe rienced explicit racists treatment at the Denver Contract Detention Facility, the evidence shows time and time again that our immigration detention system is irre versibly broken.

The stories of those detained individu als subject to abuse because of antiBlackness conjures some of the worst moments in our nation’s history. All too often these individuals end up in deten tion as a direct consequence of policing tactics that criminalize communities of color, demonstrating the systemic and inherent racial bias in our immigration enforcement system.

Immigration detention is part of our nation’s epidemic of mass incarceration. It comes at great cost to families, com munities, and taxpayers–and great profit to private prison companies. The United States should end immigration detention. We should instead focus on supporting individuals as they pursue their immigra tion cases outside of detention, where they can continue to care for them selves and their families in a healthy environment.l

What’s Next After An Asylum Denial

BY JANET HOWARD

For those subjected to persecution in their native land, there is hope for you. The United States' asylum process provides protections for those who fear persecution on religious or political grounds. However, the applicant must qualify for asylum in the States. The two ways of obtaining asylum in the United States are through the affirmative process and defensive process.

Affirmative Asylum Processing with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

To obtain asylum through the affirmative asylum process you must be physically present in the United States. You may apply for asylum regardless of how you arrived in the United States or your cur rent immigration status.

You must apply for asylum within one year of the date of your last arrival in the United States, unless you can show:

•You

Defensive Asylum Processing with EOIR

A defensive application for asylum occurs when you request asylum as a defense against removal from the United States. For asylum processing to be defensive, you must be in removal pro ceedings in immigration court with the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR).

Individuals are generally placed into defensive asylum processing in one of two ways:

•They are referred to an immigration judge by USCIS after they have been determined to be ineligible for asylum at the end of the affirmative asylum

process, or •They are placed in removal proceedings because they: -Were apprehended in the United States or at a U.S. port of entry without proper legal documents or in violation of their immigration status; or -Were apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) trying to enter the United States without proper docu mentation, were placed in the expedited removal process, and were found to have a credible fear of persecution or torture by an asylum officer.

If you have applied and been denied, here are a few steps to try and reverse the decision.

Qualifications for Asylum

An asylum application must show that the fear of persecution is "well-founded." In the immigration court system, there must be more proof than pure specula tion. If the applicant does not meet the standard definition of asylum, then the application will be denied.

The asylum process also requires the applicant to be in the United States or at a port of entry. The process for asylum is complicated and lengthy. The asylum officers and immigration judges deny over two-thirds of the cases.

Next Steps for Denied Asylum Applicants

If your asylum application is denied, there is still hope for your case. There are many opportunities to appeal the decision and remain in the United States. In any case, you will want to hire an experi enced immigration attorney to guide you through the process.

Asylum Office Denial

If your application for asylum was sub mitted voluntarily to the USCIS office, an asylum officer reviews your case. You will be interviewed at the office and will receive a letter whether you were approved or denied. With any denial, an asylum case goes to the Immigration Court. At this time, an immigration judge will review the evidence and issue a deci sion at the end of the hearing.

Immigration Court Denial

After the immigration judge denies your request, you can appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). However, you need to file your appeal by mail with in 30 days of the immigration judge's decision. The BIA reviews the transcript of the hearing, along with your written evidence to the court.

Your attorney will help you fill out the

•Changed circumstances that materially affect your eligibility for asylum or extraordinary circumstances relating to the delay in filing; and

filed within a reasonable amount of time given those circumstances.

Bes t Online Paralegal Program

BY THE CHAMBER COALITION

The rise in popularity of online education programs means that it is easier than ever to find the right one for you. Deciding on the best parale gal online program requires research and time. By weeding out the level mills and sub-standard institutions, you can earn a quality certificate at an affordable price. When researching online paralegal pro grams, you will want to consider several factors: cost and institution reputation are the most important. With this in mind, one program rises above the rest. The Chamber Coalition, which compris es the New American Chamber of Commerce (NACC), the African American International Chamber of Commerce (AAICC), and the Hispanic American International Chamber of Commerce (HAICC), offers the best online Paralegal Studies program. The competitive tuition rate, coupled with the impeccable reputation of the Coalition, makes this an obvious choice for anyone serious about their education. While no online program is ABA-approved, this one still maintains the highest standards.

Requirements

To be admitted to the Chamber's

Paralegal Certificate program, you must be at least eighteen years old, have strong computer skills, and have a high school diploma. If these qualifications fit you, you can continue the admission process. Applications are accepted online anytime during the year. A mandatory orientation describes your upcoming classes, guide lines, and expectations.

The tuition for this respected program is very competitive with other online paralegal degrees. It costs less than $1000 for the entire program. The aver age student can finish the degree in any

where from six to twelve months. Books are extra and will run around a few hun dred dollars for everything. If you want the best paralegal online program at the best price, the Chamber Coalition Paralegal Certificate Program is the answer. The program is excellent for aspiring and current paralegals, individu als who plan to attend law school, com munity advocates, persons who want to understand the law and their rights, and prospective political candidates.

Is Being a Paralegal Worth It? Yes. The Bureau of Labor Statistics proj ects a 10% job growth between now and 2029. The median salary nationwide in 2019 was $51,740, and the average mean wage was $61,810. It truly is a presti gious and significant profession. Simply put, paralegals help people. They help their employers be more efficient in their jobs, increase a firm's revenue and pro ductivity, and help the clients.

A career as a paralegal can be reward ing professionally and personally and offers a unique opportunity to help oth ers; options vary, depending on the para legal's practice area. Ready to take the leap, the next step? Visit www.freepara legal.org to complete your registration which includes payment. l

Asylum Denial/

continued from page 13

paperwork and draft a brief for your appeal. If the BIA believes the immigra tion judge made a mistake, they will grant your asylum. However, you should not expect a fast process. The average wait for a decision is about a year.

BIA Denial

If the BIA denies your request, you will have to file an appeal through the federal U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Your attor ney is a vital part of the process, and you will need a legal brief explaining why the BIA made the wrong decision. After the oral arguments, the court can reverse the denial or send the case back to the immi gration judge.

Denial by the U.S. Court of Appeals

After all the processes, you have one last court of appeal. The U.S. Supreme Court may hear your case after your lawyer sends a petition for a writ of certiorari. You must keep in mind that the U.S. Supreme Court has no obligation to take the case. They only hear a limited num ber of cases throughout the year.

Hire an Experienced Attorney for Your Asylum Appeal

As you can tell, the asylum appeal process is quite complicated. If you need help with your case, you need an experi enced attorney on your side. Call 855768-8845 to schedule an appointment. l

How to Gain Self Confidence: Three Effective Ways

BY CHRIS TOBIAS

There are many people who have missed out on great opportunities in life simply because they lacked self-confidence. Confidence has nothing to do with your ability to do something. It has more to do with the mindset whereby you believe you are incapable of doing something. So, the issue is not that you cannot do something; the issue is that you think you cannot do something. This might sound trivial, but a lack of confi dence can be quite crippling. If you are going to do anything worthwhile in life, confidence will have a lot to do with it.

For instance, you might have an unde niably beautiful voice. But, if you do not have the confidence to sing in front of people, you will never reach the heights that you could reach in life. And, if you really sit down and think about it, you will realize that not being able to perform in front of people is not because you can not sing; you clearly have the talent. It is simply because you have convinced yourself somehow that you cannot sing in front of people. The good news is that it is possible to gain self-confidence.

1. Change Your Mindset

Since lack of confidence results from a negative mindset, one of the best ways to gain self-confidence is to change the way you think. It is important for you to understand that the battle truly is in the mind. The reason you do not have the confidence to do something which you clearly have the skill or talent to do is that you have already lost the battle in your mind. Therefore, a readjustment of the mind is necessary. As long as your men tal state is telling you that you cannot sing in front of people or that you are not good enough to perform a certain task, you will never achieve your goal.

So, the first step you need to take if you are to improve your level of confidence is to get rid of the negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones. It will not happen overnight, but it can be done. Begin by taking a mental note of every thought that comes into your mind. Whenever a negative thought enters your mind, replace it with a positive thought immediately. If you make this a habit, you will see a major improvement in

your confidence levels.

The most likely reason you have low self-confidence is that either someone has convinced you that you are incapable of doing something, or you have convinced yourself through a cycle of negative thinking that you cannot do something. Therefore, in order to get to the point where you have the self-assurance that you can do something and be a success at it, it is necessary to think positively, because that is the starting point.

2. Increase Competence

Since low self-confidence has to do with the fact that you think you are not competent at doing something, another great way of gaining confidence is to take steps to increase your competence or level of skill. For instance, if your dream is to become an accom plished writer, you can start by taking simple steps to become a more competent writer. In this case, write more. The more you write, the better you will get. Start journaling and blogging, or become a freelance article writer and take as many orders as you can. By practicing and not giving up, you will gain the confidence you need to eventually write bestselling books.

3. Groom Yourself and Dress Better

Taking the time to groom yourself can really help to improve your self-image. Doing simple things such as taking a bath and shaving can help to improve your levels of confidence. The same applies to the way you dress. If you stand in front of people feeling good about the way you are dressed, or even your hairdo, it will make an enormous difference in how you conduct yourself. Dressing well doesn't have to mean buying more expensive clothes and shoes. It simply means making an extra effort to look good. It is very important to be aware of the thoughts that are coming into your mind and to know that you actually have control over those thoughts. The thoughts which you focus on will ultimately determine your level of confidence. Doing what it takes to increase competence and taking the time to properly groom your self and dress better will also go a long way in helping you to gain self-confidence. l

Kitchen Corner

Caribbean Coconut Bread

This coconut bread recipe, handed down by my boss, is one of my favorites. It is great as a breakfast muffin, snack, or with a meal. Everyone will love this. Feel free to make it your own. Add nuts, raisins, or coconut milk, or make it just how it is.

By Anita, AllRecipes.com

Ingredients

1teaspoon butter, softened 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour 1 ½ cups white sugar 1 cup shredded coconut 1 teaspoon baking powder

teaspoon salt 2 large eggs

cup low-fat milk

cup water

cup canola oil 1 ¼ teaspoons coconut extract (Optional) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Step 1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with butter.

Step 2 Combine flour, sugar, coconut, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; stir

once or twice with a wooden spoon. Add eggs, milk, water, oil, coconut extract, vanilla, and cinnamon; mix until well blended. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Step 3

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Tips

You may use brown sugar instead of white sugar or a mix of both.

You may substitute coconut milk for milk; omit coconut extract unless you want a strong coconut flavor.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving: 415 calories; total fat 17g; saturated fat 8g; cho lesterol 49mg; sodium 309mg; total carbohydrate 62g; dietary fiber 3g; total sugars 39g; pro tein 6g; vitamin c 0mg; calci um 62mg; iron 2mg; potassium 128mgl

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 1 hrs Additional Time: 15 mins Total Time: 1 hrs 30 mins

Jamaican Kaliese Spencer-Carter to Receive Olympic Medal after Russian Runner Stripped of 2012 Gold

BY STAFF WRITER, JAMAICANS.COM

decade after receiving the gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles event at the 2012 London Olympics, the winner, Natalya Antyukh of Russia has been disqualified and stripped of the medal for doping. This means that the 2012 silver medalist, Lashinda Demus of the United States, will be presented with the gold medal, and Jamaica’s Kaliese Spencer-Carter will receive the bronze medal which will be her first Olympic medal. Demus fin ished 0.07 seconds behind Antyukh at the 2012 event.

The ruling to strip Antyukh of the medal is based on historical evidence discov ered in a testing lab database in Moscow. This evidence resulted in the disqualifi cation of Antyukh in all the events she participated in from July 15, 2012, through June 29, 2013, according to the track and field Athletics Integrity Unit.

Spencer is a two-time national champion and won the Continental Cup in 2014. Following the birth of her son, she returned to the MVP Track Club in 2021,

but was injured and could not compete for most of the season. Being awarded an Olympic medal ten years after competing represents the realization of a dream for the Jamaican hurdler. Spencer said she is a complete believer in fair play and is not celebrating the downfall of a fellow ath lete, but is elated to receive the first

major international medal of her career. Antyukh may appeal the ruling, but if no appeal is filed within 45 days, the deci sion will become final and the World Athletics Competition Department and the International Olympic Committee will be informed so that they may pro ceed to disqualify the athlete’s results.l

Kaliese Spencer-Carter . Photo: YouTube via Jamaicans.com

Domes tic Violence Takes Many Forms

BY

Domestic Violence (DV) is one of the most underreported crimes that take place in New York, yet it has some of the most extensive impacts on victims and those exposed to DV. Nationally, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience physical violence by their intimate partner at some point dur ing their lifetimes, according to CDC data. In 2016, 11.6% of major crimes in NYC were related to domestic violence. 2 in 5 assault cases and 1 in 5 homicides were due to domestic violence.

Last month, Ethnic Media Services hosted a national news conference to dis cuss the different types of domestic abuse tactics used. The panel discussed victims at the highest risk of abuse and the recent congressional changes to decrease the rate of domestic violence.

Jenna Lane, one of the panelists at this conference, introduced LetsEndDV.org, a website created to educate those affect ed by DV about what it is, who it affects, and resources for those who need help. The site explains all different forms of domestic violence:

Emotional

•Calling a partner names

•Saying a partner never does anything right

•Mocking a partner's appearance or abili ties

•Gaslighting a partner

•Undermining a partner's confidence

Physical

•Slapping or hitting a partner

•Choking or strangling a partner

•Driving recklessly with a partner

•Threatening physical abuse, whether or not it happens

Financial

•Taking out loans in a partner's name without their knowledge

•Giving a partner an "allowance"

•Taking away a paycheck

•Damaging a partner's property

•Threatening a partner's employment

Sexual

•Forcing or pressuring a partner to com mit sexual acts they aren't comfortable with

•Requiring a partner to share explicit photographs or videos

•Sharing explicit imagery of a partner without their permission

Legal

•Threatening to call the police or child protective services on a partner

•Getting a partner evicted from their home

•Threatening to call immigration on a partner or getting them deported

Medical

•Making a partner feel they need permis sion to get healthcare

•Demanding a partner undergo specific medical procedures

•Sabotaging birth control or forcing a partner to use it Social

•Keeping a partner isolated from family and friends

•Preventing a partner from leaving the home

•Taking away a partner's house keys, car keys, cell phone, etc.

Technological

•Tracking a partner using a cellphone, camera, or other devices

•Requiring a partner to share their pass words

•Reading a partner's private communica tions without their knowledge or against their wishes

Many tend to believe domestic violence only exists as physical. However, as continued on page 18

Pallavi Dhawan explains, DV is "a pat tern of abusive behavior that is used to gain control over another person," and physical abuse is not always the worst. Two forms of DV discussed in this con ference were Coercive Control and Technological abuse. Examples of coer cive controlling behavior are:

•Isolating you from friends and family

•Depriving you of basic needs, such as food

•Monitoring your time

•Monitoring you via online communica tion tools or spyware

All these forms of the control strip away a person's autonomy and reduce them to a shadow of their former self.

Unequal power dynamics, typically gen der with male offenders and female vic tims, induce abuse and violence against the person with less power in the rela tionship. In our society, people with less power are often women, people of color, and immigrants, and they are more likely to become victims of domestic violence.

Tech Abuse in the Pandemic and Beyond Technological abuse is another common tactic that crosses all forms of domestic violence, sexual assault, violence, and abuse. Erica Olsen states, "Harassing by

repeatedly texting and calling, monitor ing devices to make people feel isolated and unsafe in their home, tracking loca tion without their knowledge. The most common examples are hijacking finan cial or social accounts to commit fraud or impersonation, distributing intimate images without consent, and posting threats or harassing content online. As technology evolves, we see the tactics of misuse evolve alongside it. Though tech nology can cause violence, it can also be a powerful tool for survivors by design ing technology to be safer for users and creating an environment online that pro motes kindness towards other users.

Tech Abuse in the Pandemic and Beyond is a report that surveyed over 1000 advocates and legal systems profes sionals, which concluded that the most common forms of technological abuse during the pandemic were harassment and limiting access to tech and surveil

lance. Olsen states, "Almost half of the adults in the US have experienced online harassment – Blacks and Hispanics are twice as likely as white victims to report the experience as extremely upsetting. Women of color are often targeted with violent threats that are racialized and sex ualized in nature, and this can lead to an increase in trauma and additional bur dens such as employment loss."

Reluctance to seek help is higher in vic tims of color due to community, religion, or cultural pressure.

Federal Response

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is the significant federal response to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. Some of the critical improvements made by the restoration of this act include: •Investing in culturally specific pro grams, services, and responses and

increasing funding authorization to expand access to services in high demand across all underserved populations

•Promoting safety for victims of violence on tribal lands

•Providing tools to ensure adjudicated abusers who are prohibited from possess ing firearms do not acquire new ones

Criminal justice is another change made to the VAWA, which defines restorative justice and creates a new com munity-based program to support train ing and programs to provide non-carceral accountability for survivors who seek such approaches

Deborah Tucker introduced the 80 per cent rule. She stated, "A study of every one in prison for having committed mur der or a serious violent crime, and the 80% rule came out. 80% of them grew up in families where domestic violence was used. 80% had been harmed within that family or neighborhood." 80% of those incarcerated criminals had alcohol or drug abuse problems attributed to the crises they've had their whole lives. They did not have the job or satisfaction of attainment in their day-to-day life that they expected to have when they were younger or grew up and had to deal with the use of violence against themselves or someone they loved very early in life. If we want to stop the continuation of vio lence in the world, we have to prevent domestic and sexual violence.l

How Can I Help My Older Parents From Afar?

Anyone, anywhere, can be a longdistance caregiver, no matter your gender, income, age, social status, or employment. If you are living an hour or more away from a person who needs your help, you’re probably a longdistance caregiver. Anyone who is caring for an aging friend, relative, or parent from afar can be considered a long-dis tance caregiver.

What can a caregiver really do from afar?

Long-distance caregivers take on differ ent roles. You may:

•Help with finances, money management, or bill paying

•Arrange for in-home care—hire profes sional caregivers or home health or nurs ing aides and help get needed durable medical equipment

•Locate care in an assisted living facility or nursing home (also known as a skilled nursing facility)

•Provide emotional support and occasion al respite care for a primary caregiver, the person who takes on most of the everyday caregiving responsibilities

•Serve as an information coordinator— research health problems or medicines, help navigate through a maze of new needs, and clarify insurance benefits and claims

•Keep family and friends updated and

informed

•Create a plan and get paperwork in order in case of an emergency

•Evaluate the house and make sure it's safe for the older person's needs

Over time, as your family member’s needs change, so will your role as longdistance caregiver.

First steps for new long-distance care givers

To get started:

•Ask the primary caregiver, if there is one, and the care recipient how you can be most helpful

•Talk to friends who are caregivers to see

if they have suggestions about ways to help

•Find out more about local resources that might be useful

•Develop a good understanding of the person’s health issues and other needs

•Visit as often as you can; not only might you notice something that needs to be done and can be taken care of from a distance, but you can also relieve a pri mary caregiver for a short time

What do caregivers need to know about their family member's health?

Learn as much as you can about your family member’s condition and any treat

ment. This can help you understand what is going on, anticipate the course of an illness, prevent crises, and assist in healthcare management. It can also make talking with the doctor easier.

Get written permission, as needed under the HIPAA Privacy Rule, to receive medical and financial informa tion. To the extent possible, the family member with permission should be the one to talk with all healthcare providers. Try putting together a notebook, on paper or online, that includes all the vital infor mation about medical care, social servic es, contact numbers, financial issues, and so on. Make copies for other caregivers, and keep it up-to-date.

Making the most out of visits

Talk to the care recipient ahead of time and find out what he or she would like to do during your visit.

Remember to actually spend time visit ing with your family member. Try to make time to do things unrelated to being a caregiver, like watching a movie, play ing a game, or taking a drive. Finding time to do something simple and relaxing can help everyone—it can be fun and build family memories. And, try to let outside distractions wait until you are home again.

l

“We got the flu vaccine …not the flu ‘‘

Eric

National Institute on Aging

What’s It Like Being a Young Person With Long COVID? You Might Feel Like a Failure (But You’re Not)

BY ANA LEITE, DAMIEN RIDGE & NISREEN ALWAN THE CONVERSATION

Imagine you’re young, healthy and active. Then, one day, the rug is pulled out from under you. You ini tially have symptoms akin to a cold, so you take a lateral flow test, which shows you have COVID. But it’s nothing that stops you from getting on with things, at least from a distance.

A few weeks later, or perhaps months, you start to have strange symptoms. You feel unwell after exercising, and you’re exhausted after a trip to the shops or meeting a friend. Your chest becomes heavy when you load the dishwasher. You go to the doctor and they run some tests. None come back with anything out of the ordinary. Your doctor tells you: “You might have long COVID, but we still don’t know much about it.”

Suddenly words like “rest” and “slow ing down” become commonplace in your life. These words are not compatible with the life you want to lead, but your body gives you little choice. You feel shocked by this turn of events and you may even feel like a failure.

You’re not, of course. But living with a chronic medical condition like long COVID, when only months ago you were fit and healthy, can mean you feel that way.

Young people and long COVID Many might assume otherwise, but young, healthy people can develop long COVID. Data shows that 2.7% of people aged 17-24 and 3.6% of those aged 2534 have symptoms at least four weeks after an infection. Even athletes are not immune.

Long COVID is still poorly under stood, yet it can be life altering. Although symptoms and their severity vary from person to person, debilitating fatigue is common. Many sufferers are no longer able to do exercise, and even struggle with ordinary daily tasks.

People facing cognitive symptoms like problems with memory and concentra

tion (“brain fog”) might see the quality and quantity of their output at work decline. This may be particularly worry ing for young adults only just starting out in their careers.

Long COVID can be episodic and unpredictable. Energy can fluctuate from week to week, day to day, and hour to hour. Physical, mental or emotional exer tion can also exacerbate symptoms. Over time, you may feel you are gradually improving. But just as you think you’re reaching the end, your symptoms can hit you hard again.

For people with long COVID, while improvement is possible, there’s a degree of uncertainty about the course their ill ness might take. This can cast doubt over all sorts of plans a young person might have, from work, to study, to travel, to starting a family.

People with other chronic and poorly understood medical conditions, such as Lyme disease and ME/CFS (myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syn drome), frequently struggle with feelings of identity loss. Research on people with long COVID is still emerging, but it’s not difficult to see how it could lead to an identity crisis. The way a person saw themselves before getting sick – as a healthy and able-bodied professional, friend, partner, for example – is chal lenged when they’re no longer able to carry out these roles like they once could.

Seeking support for an ‘invisible’ illness

Unfortunately, for people with “invisi ble” medical conditions like long COVID, seeking understanding from others can be fraught. Some may have their experiences discredited or dis missed as psychological by friends, fam ily or even health professionals, which is sometimes called medical gaslighting.

This can be doubly so for people from certain groups, such as women and eth nic minorities, who are sadly at increased risk of having their experiences trivi alised or discredited in a healthcare con text.

In the face of all these challenges, it’s important to have social support. Research shows that belonging to social groups and maintaining connections ben efits our health and wellbeing.

Unfortunately, people with chronic con ditions can face shrinking social circles. Others may not understand the reality of living with chronic ill health, and so are not flexible about regularly cancelled plans, for example. Feeling guilty for missing social events is yet another aspect of chronic illness that can take an emotional toll.

However, people with long COVID can develop new communities of others who understand what they’re going through. These connections can help them rebuild their identity and adjust to their new nor

mal. They can also help them face chal lenges in how their new health status is accepted at work by sharing experiences and resources.

For people living with long COVID, it’s worthwhile seeking out supportive social networks. Online groups may be particularly beneficial when symptoms make it hard to travel.

Even though there’s much ground still to cover in long COVID research, the evidence is rapidly evolving and, with it, hopefully we’ll see more enlightened attitudes and better treatments.

Our advice is to listen to your body and trust that you know its needs better than anyone else. Be your own best support, but at the same time, stay connected and seek out understanding people. If health professionals are unhelpful, remember you can seek second opinions and, in the meantime, pace yourself, rest and respect your body’s limits.

Regressing after a period of good health may be particularly difficult. Know that it’s normal to feel frustrated with the illness and with yourself, won dering if you’re doing anything to trigger these symptoms. But try to be as com passionate with yourself as you can. It’s not your fault, and long COVID does not make you a failure. Remember you’re doing the best you can under the circum stances. l

Ana Leite is an Associate Professor in Social and Organisational Psychology, Durham University. Damien Ridge is a Professor of Health Studies, University of Westminster. Nisreen Alwan is an Associate Professor in Public Health, University of Southampton.

For sufferers, feeling they’re being disbelieved or dismissed will only add to the emotional burden of living with a chronic illness...

Gov. Hochul Holds on After Tough Campaign Against Right-Winger Zeldin

BY KATIE HONAN, HAIDEE CHU, JONATHAN CUSTODIO, STEPHON JOHNSON, GEORGE JOSEPH, CLAUDIA IRIZARRY APONTE AND TANAZ MEGHJANI, THE CITY

Gov. Kathy Hochul fought off a challenge from Republican Lee Zeldin on Tuesday, although her opponent refused to concede.

Shortly after 11 p.m., with a little more than 50% of the statewide vote counted, both NBC News and ABC News called the race for Hochul and her running mate Antonio Delgado.

Hochul then declared victory, tweeting “I’m deeply honored to be elected Governor of the State of New York.”

“Tonight, you made your voices heard loud and clear, and you made me the first woman ever elected to be governor in the state of New York,” she told supporters at her campaign watch party in Manhattan’s Chinatown. “But I’m not here to make history. I’m here to make a difference.”

She is the first woman to be elected governor in New York State, after taking over the job from Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who resigned in disgrace in Aug. 2021 following sexual harassment allegations.

Hochul, who served two years in Congress representing Erie County and six years as Cuomo’s lieutenant gover nor, focused her campaign on reproduc tive rights across the state after Roe v. Wade was overturned in June.

On the trail, she touted her accomplish ments in the year-plus she’s been gover nor, including creating a task force to crack down on illegal guns and accelerat ing a middle-class tax cut of more than $1 billion. The governor also highlighted her five-year housing proposal to create and preserve an estimated 100,000 affordable units.

In her victory speech Tuesday, she vowed to continue her work on behalf of New Yorkers — and did not mention her competitor. “Together, we’ll put our val ues to work, to lift up all and leave no one behind. We’ll build a state where families can afford to raise their children, we’ll create good paying jobs.”

As the clock struck midnight, Zeldin felt he was still in the race as he spoke to supporters at his watch party in Midtown, telling them he expected

results to tilt to his favor as ballots are counted.

“Enjoy the open bar, and enjoy watch ing the results, because what you’re about to see is that this will continue to get closer and closer and closer and clos er as the night goes on,” he said.

At about 1 a.m. Wednesday, the Associated Press called the race for Hochul. With about 12,000 of 14,296 election districts reporting, she held a 53% to 46% lead.

The incumbent — who’d called herself an “underdog” the week before the elec tion — repeatedly said during the cam paign that her opponent was too far right and could jeopardize reproductive rights for women in New York.

That message seemed to resonate with Democratic-leaning voters. Daniel Meredith, 45, told THE CITY he cast his ballot for Hochul out of concern for his three young children’s future. “Lee Zeldin is probably against everything that I want my kids to live in,” the Queens resident said.

“The Lee Zeldin camp, they’re really not tolerant about gender rights and abor tion and things like that. So, you know, I really want my daughter to be able to have choices with her rights.”

At their sole debate, the pair sparred over issues ranging from asylum seekers to abortion.

Despite Democrats outnumbering Republicans by more than 2 to 1 in New York state — and nearly 7 to 1 in New York City — some polls in the weeks leading up to election day showed Hochul had just a small lead over Zeldin. Across the state, voters unaffiliated with either party comprise nearly a quarter of registered voters, outnumbering regis tered Republicans.

Hochul out-raised Zeldin in recent

months, bringing in more than $11.2 mil lion to his over $6.4 million, according to the most recent state election filings — even as the Republican benefited from outside groups spending large sums on his behalf.

Zeldin’s Crime Gambit

Over the past few months, as Hochul repeatedly said her opponent would set back women’s rights, Zeldin, who oppos es abortion but said that he wouldn’t be able to change state laws allowing it, focused on public safety, amplifying fears of a city and state falling into law lessness.

While campaigning, Zeldin vowed to fire Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on his first day in office, citing what he called “soft on crime” policies. His campaign ads often used violent imagery, which some have called racist. The member of Congress from Long Island also promised to declare a “state of emergency” on crime on Jan. 1, and repeal the 2019 bail reform law.

Hours before the polls closed, at a cam paign stop in Jackson Heights, Queens, Zeldin said he had support among a diverse group of voters — even in parts of the city usually seen as strongly Democratic.

“When you look at Brooklyn and Queens, while it’s viewed as blue coun ties, it can be a little deceiving,” he said. “My message to everybody: Don’t ever let your vote be taken for granted.”

At the campaign stop on election day, some of Zeldin’s supporters tangled with people who came out to campaign for Hochul. Mariano Laboy, 77, from Morrisania in The Bronx, and Charlie Vavruska, 55 from Maspeth, Queens, repeatedly chanted “Crime! Crime!” at Hochul supporters.

“I’m scared every day, my daughter has to ride these subways,” Vavurska said. “Everybody’s scared, it’s never been like this.”

When asked about data that shows there is less crime in the city than in previous decades, he called it “bullcrap.”

Some categories of crime, including incidents in the transit system, are up in recent years. But overall, homicides and major crimes like felony assault are sig nificantly rarer than in the 1980s or 1990s, despite rising during the pandem ic.

Zeldin’s message motivated at least some unlikely voters. Bernard, a lifelong Staten Island resident who declined to share his last name or age, told THE CITY that he hadn’t voted in a long time, but was moved this year to show up for Zeldin because of the “climate of crime.”

“This is the first time I voted in a long time because I wanted to vote for Zeldin,” Bernard said. Echoing Zeldin’s talking points on bail reform, he said, “If you’re attacked, is your attacker going to be let out? The answer is yes. It’s anar chy.”

But many voters in New York City who heard Zeldin’s message came to a differ ent conclusion. Manhattan resident Carolyn Harris, 77, told THE CITY she voted for Hochul and said Zeldin’s extreme focus on crime was “fear-mon gering — and the media is making it worse.”

“I travel around the city all the time and I’m telling you now that it’s a lot less scary than it used to be,” she said. “I was here starting back in 1976. I was here when the trains were old and full of graf fiti.”

Howard Kang, who has lived in Jackson Heights, Queens for six years, said that some people in his immediate circle are alarmed about crime. “My girlfriend gets the little ridiculous Citizen app notifica tion that hypes up crime a little too much, I think. She thinks crime has gotten worse, but I don’t think it has,” Kang told THE CITY.

“It’s way, way overblown in my opin ion. There are other ways to address it other than throwing people in jail.”l

This story was published on Nov 8, 2022 by THE CITY. This is an abbreviated ver sion. Read the full story at www.cawnyc.com

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