Northeast
'You are culpable': Stefanik demands Cuomo apologize for COVID nursing home deaths in heated exchange
Lawmakers grilled former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo regarding his handling of controversial COVID-era nursing home policies, demanding he apologize to families who lost loved ones during the coronavirus pandemic.
Cuomo testified before the House select committee investigating coronavirus on Tuesday regarding elderly deaths after patients were being admitted into nursing homes without COVID-19 testing.
On March 25, 2020, the New York State Department of Health issued an advisory under Cuomo’s leadership stating nursing homes “are prohibited from requiring a hospitalized resident who is determined medically stable to be tested for COVID-19 prior to admission or readmission.”
Cuomo claimed during the hearing that it was ultimately up to the nursing homes to decide whether they could take care of the patients, but lawmakers counterclaimed that the advisory prevented nursing homes from denying COVID positive patient admission.
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WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 10: Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo arrives to testify before the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic in the Rayburn House Office Building at the U.S. Capitol on September 10, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Kent Nishimura)
“After months of inquiry and investigation, we now know irrefutable what New Yorkers have known for years that Governor Cuomo himself and his most senior aides ordered, directed and executed this deadly executive order counter to CMS and CDC guidance,” Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said.
“You are culpable for this,” Stefanik told the former governor. “There are families sitting here. I want you to turn around, look them in the eye, and apologize, which you have failed to do. How do you do it?”
The former New York governor also testified during the hearing that he did not speak to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) before or after the advisory was sent.
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“And they never called me after. You would think if they had a problem with the directive, they would have called if it was so outrageous you didn’t even call it.” Cuomo told the committee, adding that the advisory was “in total compliance with federal guidelines.”
Representative Elise Stefanik, a Republican from New York, grilled Cuomo during the hearing. (Haiyun Jiang/Bloomberg)
Cuomo was blamed for thousands of COVID-related deaths that occurred in nursing homes, which a 2023 report from the NYS Department of Health calculated to be 826 in Suffolk County, 813 in Erie County – which includes Buffalo – and 623 in Queens County.
The former governor directed blame to former President Donald Trump during the hearing, saying that the investigation is part of “old diversions to blame New York and other states for the culpability of the federal response, which was malpractice.”
Republican members on the committee railed Cuomo for shifting the blame on the issue.
“I was hoping that we would see a Governor Cuomo that was less defensive and that was remorseful over what happened in New York. But I see that that person has not shown up today,” Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, said.
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 10: Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is sworn in to testify before the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic in the Rayburn House Office Building at the U.S. Capitol on September 10, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Kent Nishimura)
In closing, Chairman Wenstrup added that he was “deeply skeptical of the abdication of responsibility on to others that we’ve witnessed, not only here, but publicly.”
“It appears there’s to be no soul-searching from you, governor. I’m sorry. No self- critique of what could have been done better and improved upon. Just doubling down, blaming others,” Wenstrup said.
Fox News’ Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
Read the full article from Here
Chilly air, wildfire smoke and scattered showers will shroud Massachusetts Monday before more widespread rain comes later in the week.
While no air quality alerts were issued by the National Weather Service as of 6 a.m. on Monday, smoke from fires in Canada was still in the atmosphere statewide. Air quality alerts were issued for parts of New Hampshire near the border.
The air quality was at a “moderate” level and considered “unhealthy for sensitive groups” in parts of Eastern, Central and Western Massachusetts and on the Cape & the Islands as of 6 a.m., according to data from the DEP map. Those affected should take precautions in spending too long outside.
Temperatures were cool in the mid to upper 50s after sunrise on Monday morning. They’re expected to reach just the 60s and high 70s throughout the day, with the warmest areas in Western Massachusetts.
Under the overcast skies, there’s a chance for scattered showers statewide during the daytime and into Monday night, forecasters said.
This comes before more widespread, heavy rain and thunder move into the state on Tuesday. Forecasters are eyeing up to two inches of rain that could fall throughout the day on Tuesday and bring some street flooding.
New Hampshire
The governor, House, and Senate each created a budget for NH. Now, they must agree on one.
Wakefern Food Corp. and ShopRite continued their support of the Special Olympics New Jersey Summer Games that took place from June 6 to June 8 at The College of New Jersey.
More than 500 volunteers, including team members from Wakefern and local ShopRite stores and their families, volunteered throughout the event, extending a nearly 40-year tradition of involvement with the event.
Wakefern and ShopRite, two of the biggest employers in New Jersey, provided more than 15,000 meals to athletes, families and volunteers over the course of the weekend. Volunteers helped distribute snacks and organize activities and gift giveaways for athletes and their families to enjoy during their downtime.
“It’s a privilege to partner with Special Olympics New Jersey – an organization that celebrates the strength, determination and spirit of these remarkable athletes,” said Mike Stigers, president of Wakefern Food Corp., the retailer-owned supermarket cooperative and distribution and merchandising arm for ShopRite stores. “We are honored to play a role in creating a fun experience for everyone involved and look forward to cheering on our own ShopRite associates who are competing in the Games.”
The event began on June 6 with the 42nd annual Law Enforcement Torch Run, which raises awareness and funds for the Special Olympics movement. The torch run stops at nearly 50 ShopRite locations across New Jersey, where ShopRite associates provide refreshments to support participants.
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