Tag Archives: Andrew Cuomo

I believe this is a first. Via press release: Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today directed the spire of One World Trade Center and the Kosciuszko Bridge to be lit this weekend in honor of LGBT pride. The iconic landmarks will be lit the colors of the transgender flag for Trans Day of Action today, June 23rd and the colors of …

The Associated Press reports: New York’s highest court has a new member. The state Senate on Wednesday confirmed Paul Feinman to serve on the Court of Appeals. He will be the first openly gay person to serve on the court. Feinman has been a judge for more than 20 years. He fills a vacancy created by the death of Judge …

Trump is being trolled worldwide: Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered two New York City landmarks – the World Trade Center and the Kosciuszko Bridge – to be lit in green Thursday night to express the state’s support for the Paris accord. “The White House’s reckless decision to withdraw from the Paris Accord has devastating repercussions not only for the United States, …

Via press release: Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and Equality NC hailed the news that Governor Andrew Cuomo has reaffirmed New York’s ban on taxpayer-funded travel to North Carolina. The announcement comes after North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, Senate President Phil Berger, and House Speaker Tim Moore passed a law — HB 142 — doubling down on many of …

The New York Daily News reports: Sheila Abdus-Salaam, the first-ever female Muslim judge in U.S. history and the first African-American woman to serve on New York’s highest court, was found dead Wednesday on the bank of the Hudson River, police said. Abdus-Salaam, 65, was discovered floating fully clothed on the Manhattan side of the river, by the Henry Hudson Parkway …

UPI reports: New York became the first state to waive college tuition for middle-class students with the passage of a bill in its Senate. Under a plan first introduced in January by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, undergraduate students at State University of New York or City University of New York schools will be eligible for the Excelsior Scholarship if their families …

The New York Times reports: Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced a plan Tuesday morning to offer free tuition at state colleges to hundreds of thousands of middle- and low-income New Yorkers, seizing on a popular liberal talking point on the eve of national Republican ascension. Under the governor’s plan, any college student who has been accepted to a state or …

Via press release from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo: Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today launched a toll-free hotline to report incidents of bias and discrimination across the state. The hotline will bolster the state’s efforts to protect New Yorkers and allow those who are the victim of prejudice to file a complaint with the Division of Human Rights. Following an …

Posted today to the Facebook page of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo: The state of New York has a proud legacy as the progressive capital of the nation, and that is more important today than ever before. As New Yorkers, we have fundamentally different philosophies than what Donald Trump laid out in his campaign. So let me be absolutely clear: …

Via press release from openly gay New York Assemblyman Daniel O’Donnell: It is once again time for New York to send a strong message to the country that we will not allow state funded travel to states that allow discrimination against LGBT individuals. These laws, veiled as religious freedom, are simply attempts to skirt around the Supreme Court ruling last …

Politico reports: The criticism and backlash to North Carolina’s new law that eliminated anti-discrimination protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people reeks of hypocrisy in several ways, North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory said Thursday. Voters in the Final Four host city of Houston, McCrory remarked during an interview with “Fox and Friends,” last November overwhelmingly rejected Proposition 1, known …

Add New York state to New York City, San Francisco, and Seattle. From Gov. Cuomo’s edict: Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today signed an executive order banning all non-essential state travel to North Carolina. The order requires all New York State agencies, departments, boards and commissions to immediately review all requests for state funded or state sponsored travel to the state …

Huge news today in New York state! From the HRC: Under Gov. Cuomo’s leadership, the New York State Department of Financial Services will issue regulations prohibiting insurance providers from covering conversion therapy on patients under the age of 18. The New York State Office of Mental Health will prohibit mental health providers from using conversion therapy on youth under the …

Gothamist reports: Governor Cuomo announced on Wednesday that he is spearheading a comprehensive overhaul of Penn Station. In conjunction with Amtrak and the MTA, the renovation will seek a private developer to convert the Farley post office building on Eighth Avenue into a grand, sun-soaked waiting area. Maybe this time the stories will be true? The project—dubbed the Empire Station …

One of the biggest annoyances I’ve had as New York-based activist has been reporting year after year after year that a transgender rights bill had been rejected by the state Senate despite eight consecutive years of passage in the state Assembly. After much lobbying, finally Gov. Andrew Cuomo comes to the rescue. The New York Times reports: Taking action on …

Thanks to weeks of relentless front page outrage by New York City’s tabloids, both Gov. Cuomo and Mayor De Blasio have vowed to chase out the dozens of painted topless women who work Times Square for tips. Gothamist reports: “I believe this activity is illegal,” he [Cuomo] said, speaking to NY1. “I believe it is infringing on legitimate businesses. I …

As they might say on HGTV, LGA is a complete tear-down. Therefore, according to plans unveiled today, a completely new single $4B terminal will be built in the current parking lot, after which the ramshackle four old terminals will be razed. Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Vice President Joe Biden today held a joint press conference about the project, which is …

Via Digital Trends: Airbnb extends its tendrils to just about every country within reach, so it’s no surprise that Cuba finally made the list. Earlier this month, the home-rental liaison took advantage of loosened U.S. trade restrictions to begin offering its services in the Communist island nation. The listings number in the hundreds right now, but Airbnb has been sending …

Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s move came after pressure from gay New York state legislators. The five gay lawmakers in the state Legislature wrote a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo today urging him to boycott Indiana’s “Religious Freedom Restoration Act” and ban state travel to the state. The lawmakers—Sen. Brad Hoylman and Assemblymembers Deborah Glick, Daniel O’Donnell, Harry Bronson and Matthew Titone—joined …

Openly gay New York Sen. Brad Hoylman today thanked pop star Miley Cyrus for helping win millions of dollars in state funding for homeless youth shelters. Via DNA Info: The 2015 New York State Budget now has $4.5 million in funding for homeless youth shelters, the first significant increase in seven years — thanks to Miley Cyrus. State Sen. Brad …