Jabari endorsed by Our Revolution + NYCHA problems

Local News

• Residents of Brooklyn’s largest public housing complex, located in Red Hook, whose requests for essential repairs have been ignored for months, have been withholding rent in order to get in front of a judge who can force the underfunded NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA) to make the requested fixes. Damage from hurricane Sandy, which occurred five years ago, is finally being addressed this month.
• City Limits reports that residents of NYCHA public housing who request a changes in housing for their safety after witnessing violent crimes are not having their concerns addressed.
• Another sign of how underfunded NYCHA is: a nonprofit — created to help it — has resorted to crowdfunding.
• The City Planning Commission has approved rezoning for the Pfizer Sites housing despite warnings from activists with the Broadway Triangle Community Coalition and Southside United HDFC - Los Sures, as well as CM Antonio Reynoso (District 34, Williamsburg, Bushwick) who went against CM Steven Levin, who represents District 33, Williamsburg, where the project is located.
• A study from Columbia University shows that Staten Island has a shortage of Opioid Addiction centers.
• A sergeant in the NYPD was arrested for drawing his weapon on a cyclist he had a near miss with before pushing him off his bike.
• An investigation into De Blasio’s recent claim that his administration had moved 60,000 New Yorkers from shelters into permanent housing found it to be at least partially true. However, many housing advocates have charged that De Blasio’s affordable housing plan, which has a strong focus on middle-income earners, serves to exacerbate the city’s homelessness problem.
• Along with dozens of unions, both Cuomo and De Blasio showed up to a Brooklyn Bridge rally to express solidarity for 1800 striking IBEW Spectrum workers, but stayed on opposite sides of the bridge to avoid crossing paths.
• Cuomo signaled his support for federal Medicare for All, but did not address the New York Health Act, a statewide single-payer proposal that fell one vote short in the last Senate legislative session.

Electoral News

• DSA-endorsee Jabari Brisport has been endorsed by Our Revolution in his campaign against incumbent Laurie Cumbo in District 35 (Crown Heights).
• After failing to win the Democratic primary, former Cumbo chief of staff Brian Cunningham is running again in the general election in District 40 (Flatbush), this time on the Reform Party line.
• Yoni Hikind, who is running on his own newly created “Our Neighborhood” party line in the fascinating District 44 (Borough Park) race to replace the seat vacated by David Greenfield, has received significant support from leaders in the area’s Russian-American community.
• Anonymous operatives are pushing Mayor de Blasio to primary Governor Cuomo in the 2018 governor’s race, citing astounding statistics that show de Blasio’s vote count, in this month’s low-turnout citywide mayoral primary, nearly matched Cuomo’s vote count in 2014’s low-turnout statewide gubernatorial primary against Zephyr Teachout.
• After staying out of the primary, Cuomo reluctantly endorsed de Blasio for reelection in November’s general election.
• Brooklyn nominated only women and no men for the six available judicial seats.