Northeast
Migrant families receive $4000 in grants to aid transition out of NYC shelters
New York City launched a pilot program to help migrants transition out of city shelters by providing them with $4000 for permanent housing, a city official confirmed to Fox News Digital on Friday.
The NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS) offered 150 families cash assistance through the Asylee Moveout Assistance (AMA), a pilot created in December last year to help find permanent housing for asylum seekers. The pilot was launched in partnership with some city shelters providing services for asylum seekers.
“The city is using every tool at its disposal to implement innovative and cost-effective solutions to help recently-arrived asylum seekers residing in shelters take the next steps in their journey,” a Department of Social Services (DSS) spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
DHS officials in December started dispensing $4000 to 150 households who live in the city’s emergency DHS shelters.
“Since December, DSS has been working with a few not-for-profit providers operating emergency sites to pilot a new effort to reduce barriers to obtaining housing by helping asylum-seeking families who have identified permanent housing with the upfront cost of moving into their new home,” the DSS spokesperson said.
MIGRANTS FORM ‘CONSTELLATION’ OF TENTS OUTSIDE OF MEGA SHELTER IN NEW YORK CITY: REPORT
“150 households have benefitted from this pilot over the last seven months, and we look forward to supporting more households as we assess the success of the pilot and feasibility of scaling up and expanding access to this form of assistance,” the statement from DSS reads further.
Eligibility for the $4000 grant is solely limited to asylum-seeking families and pregnant women who are residing in select DHS emergency shelters and have already identified permanent housing.
There is no city funding allocated for this program, the DSS spokesperson told Fox News Digital. DHS is using money from existing funds within the agency, the DSS spokesperson added.
“This is a very small pilot only available to asylum-seeking families in select emergency shelters operated by DHS. This is not a citywide effort and not available to migrant families residing across the shelter system,” the DSS spokesperson added.
The $4,000 would be used to cover security deposits, moving expenses, first and last month rent and any household necessities. Migrant families who receive the grant are required to document their expenses.
Migrants who return to city shelters are not eligible for a second payment.
Additionally, families can receive up to $1,000 in gift cards for household necessities and moving expenses.
The program is similar to the city’s Enhanced one-shot deals program, which was established by the Human Resources Administration and DHS.
The pre-existing EOSDs provided “one time payments” to assist homeless working families transition out of the shelter system and live independently.
“The Asylee Moveout Assistance pilot is modeled after similar programs offering one-time emergency assistance of up to $4,000 to cover upfront rehousing costs which may include the security deposit and moving expenses,” the DSS spokesperson said.
NYC SECURES $106M IN FEDERAL FUNDING FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF MIGRANT COSTS AFTER MONTHS OF DELAYS
This effort comes amid NYC Mayor Eric Adams’ attempt to relieve shelters that are overflowing with migrants.
Adams in March imposed restrictions on its “right to shelter” policy. The policy, which mandated a bed be provided for any individual who requires it, would be shortened to a 30-day stay.
NYC is projected to have spent more than $5 billion over the last two years on the migrant crisis and the expense is estimated to double by 2025, the New York Post reported. Such spending of taxpayer money includes the cost of shelter, food, healthcare, and education.
Adams has said that he expects the costs of the migrant crisis to reach $10 billion over a three-year period ending June 30, 2025.
Back in February, the mayor testified at an annual hearing in the Empire State’s capital, asking for $4.6 billion to fund NYC programs through 2025.
He added that the city’s shelter population has tripled since he took office.
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Northeast
Transgender Congress member 'mystified' that GOP 'prioritizes' trans athlete bans in girls sports
Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender member of Congress, blasted Republicans for focusing on keeping transgender athletes out of girls and women’s sports.
Delaware, the state where McBride won election to serve as the representative of its at-large district, does not have laws restricting trans athletes from participating in sports that do not align with their gender at birth.
“I’ve had conversations with colleagues about many of the bills that are coming before us and certainly have heard from some colleagues who, like me, are mystified that this is a priority for a Republican conference that is entering a Republican trifecta, that this is an issue that they prioritize,” she told The Independent recently.
“And it defies understanding, except for the fact that it’s a pretty obvious part of a politics of misdirection and distraction.”
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., reintroduced a measure earlier this week to prevent biological male participation in women’s and girls sports in the Republican-led Senate. With the approval of leadership, it’s expected to get a floor vote.
The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act has been a years-long crusade for the Alabama Republican, who originally introduced it in 2023.
The measure would maintain that Title IX treats gender as “recognized based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth” and does not adjust it to apply to gender identity.
Twenty-eight states have limitations on trans athletes participating in sports that align with their gender identity.
Since McBride’s election, there has been a battle on Capitol Hill about whether McBride should be allowed to use women’s restrooms.
Tuberville’s legislation would ban federal funding from going to athletic programs that allow biological men to participate in women’s and girls sports.
President-elect Trump has said he would “ban” transgender athletes born male from participating in girls and women’s sports.
President Biden recently dropped potential protections for transgender athletes.
“President Trump ran on the issue of saving women’s sports and won in a landslide,” Tuberville, a former college football coach, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Seventy percent of Americans agree — men don’t belong in women’s sports or locker rooms. I have said many times that I think Title IX is one of the best things to come out of Washington. But in the last few years, it has been destroyed.
“While I’m glad that the Biden administration ultimately rescinded the proposed rule, Congress has to ensure this never happens again. I am welcoming my first granddaughter this spring and won’t stop fighting until her rights to fairly compete are protected. I hope every one of my colleagues will join me in standing up for our daughters, nieces and granddaughters by voting for this critical bill.”
Fox News’ Julia Johnson contributed to this report.
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New York
As Trump Returns, Murphy Plans to Protect Abortion Access in New Jersey
As he prepares for his final year as governor of New Jersey, Philip D. Murphy on Tuesday proposed banning cellphones in schools and disclosed plans to blunt any additional limits on abortion access by the Trump administration.
Mr. Murphy also said he would work to address last year’s alarming 14 percent increase in roadway fatalities by overhauling the state’s 10 most dangerous intersections.
Mr. Murphy, a Democrat, began his seventh State of the State address in Trenton by acknowledging what he called “the elephant that is not in the room”: President-elect Donald J. Trump.
“I know there is some uncertainty and even concern about what this administration will bring,” the governor said, drawing the first round of applause from the standing-room-only crowd.
Mr. Murphy, who plans to attend Mr. Trump’s inauguration next week, said he “would never back away from partnering with the Trump administration” when doing so aligned with New Jersey’s priorities. But he vowed to fight Mr. Trump “if and when” those values are tested.
To that end, he said that New Jersey would stockpile a supply of mifepristone, one of two drugs used in medication abortions, in the event that Mr. Trump moved to limit its availability.
Aides to Mr. Murphy said New Jersey’s Department of Health had already begun gathering a six-month “strategic reserve” of medications, including mifepristone, which will be stored with abortion providers.
New Jersey law permits abortion throughout a pregnancy. But the governor also said that he would pursue legislation to end out-of-pocket costs for the procedure, reiterating a proposal he made last year.
As he outlined his priorities for his final year in office, Mr. Murphy said he would push for legislation to provide full pay to state workers on parental leave, make full-day kindergarten mandatory in the small number of towns that do not already offer it and permit 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in school board elections.
But perhaps the loudest and most sustained applause came when Mr. Murphy said he would direct school districts to adopt policies that ban cellphones in the state’s elementary, middle and high schools.
“Our children are inundated with screens,” Mr. Murphy said, adding that cellphone use had fueled a rise in cyberbullying and contributed to a mental health crisis among children.
“We will help establish phone-free schools,” he vowed.
New York’s governor, Kathy Hochul, said Monday that she planned to limit cellphone use in schools.
New York and New Jersey join a growing number of states, including Virginia, Ohio and Minnesota, that have moved to limit the use of the devices in schools. Los Angeles Unified became the largest school district in the United States to ban cellphones last year.
Mr. Murphy is prohibited by law from running for more than two consecutive terms, and November’s race to replace him is already in full swing.
Six prominent Democrats and four Republicans are competing for their party’s nomination to run for governor in the June primaries. The list of contenders includes the mayors of the state’s two largest cities, two members of Congress and a former Republican Assembly member who came within three percentage points of beating Mr. Murphy in 2021.
Indeed, the governor’s speech had a perfunctory air, and members of the audience at times appeared distracted; some repeatedly exited and re-entered the State Assembly chamber throughout the address.
The Republican leader of the State Senate, Anthony M. Bucco, called Mr. Murphy’s address a retread of costly, feel-good policy proposals.
“This state has become more and more and more unaffordable,” Mr. Bucco said.
“The days of spending outside of our means are coming to an end,” he added.
Still, the hourlong speech offered a window into major challenges facing New Jersey, including last year’s 14 percent increase in roadway fatalities.
Traffic fatalities nationwide have been declining. But last year in New Jersey, there were 691 traffic deaths, up from 606 the year before. Pedestrian fatalities soared by 32 percent.
The increase coincided with a drastic eight-month reduction in traffic enforcement by State Police troopers, who in July 2023 began writing far fewer tickets for speeding, drunken driving, cellphone use and other violations.
The reduced enforcement began a week after the state’s attorney general, Matthew J. Platkin, released a report critical of the performance of the State Police, New Jersey’s largest policing agency.
In August 2023, the first full month of the slowdown, troopers wrote 81 percent fewer tickets statewide, and crashes on the state’s two main highways immediately began to increase, according to records obtained by The New York Times through public records requests.
Mr. Platkin has appointed Preet Bharara, a prominent former federal prosecutor in Manhattan, to lead a criminal investigation of the slowdown.
Mr. Murphy is the only official in New Jersey with the power to replace the State Police superintendent, Col. Patrick Callahan, who led the department during the slowdown.
On Monday, when asked about the relationship between traffic fatalities and the reduced levels of enforcement, Mr. Murphy said, “If we’re not enforcing the laws on the books, that’s unacceptable.”
But he also worked to shift accountability for the slowdown away from himself and instead place full responsibility on Mr. Platkin and Colonel Callahan.
“It’s on their backs to get this into the right place,” Mr. Murphy said, adding that he had confidence in both men.
A spokesman for Colonel Callahan did not respond to a request for comment.
On Monday, Mr. Murphy signed a bill that created a commission dedicated to reducing the number of traffic fatalities in New Jersey to zero by 2040.
On Tuesday, he told lawmakers that he would “work with all of you to make New Jersey’s roads safer.”
He also announced plans to “overhaul” 10 of the state’s most dangerous intersections “to keep our families safe and to help prevent avoidable tragedies.”
Boston, MA
Boston City Councilor will introduce
BOSTON – It could cost you more to get a soda soon. The Boston City Council is proposing a tax on sugary drinks, saying the money on unhealthy beverages can be put to good use.
A benefit for public health?
“I’ve heard from a lot of residents in my district who are supportive of a tax on sugary beverages, but they want to make sure that these funds are used for public health,” said City Councilor Sharon Durkan, who is introducing the “Sugar Tax,” modeled on Philadelphia and Seattle. She said it’s a great way to introduce and fund health initiatives and slowly improve public health.
A study from Boston University found that cities that implemented a tax on sugary drinks saw a 33% decrease in sales.
“What it does is it creates an environment where we are discouraging the use of something that we know, over time, causes cancer, causes diet-related diseases, causes obesity and other diet-related illnesses,” she said.
Soda drinkers say no to “Sugar Tax”
Soda drinkers don’t see the benefit.
Delaney Doidge stopped by the store to get a mid-day pick-me-up on Tuesday.
“I wasn’t planning on getting anything, but we needed toilet paper, and I wanted a Diet Coke, so I got a Diet Coke,” she said, adding that a tax on sugary drinks is an overreach, forcing her to ask: What’s next?
“Then we’d have to tax everything else that brings people enjoyment,” Doidge said. “If somebody wants a sweet treat, they deserve it, no tax.”
Store owners said they’re worried about how an additional tax would impact their businesses.
Durkan plans to bring the tax idea before the City Council on Wednesday to start the conversation about what rates would look like.
Massachusetts considered a similar tax in 2017.
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