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Today's Lead: Mentally Ill Inmate "Baked To Death" On Rikers


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Investigators are probing the death of a homeless former Marine on Rikers Island whose cell had overheated to at least 100 degrees. One official said "He basically baked to death." The inmate hadn't been checked on for hours, although he was supposed to looked in on every 15 minutes and was complaining of the heat. He was in a mental-observation unit and was taking medication that may have made him vulnerable to heat. An autopsy was inconclusive and that more tests were needed. He was arrested for sleeping on the roof of a project building. Problems with the handling mentally ill patients on Rikers Island have been escalating in recent years.

The Latest from Gotham Gazette

Miss any of our recent stories at GothamGazette.com? We published an op-ed from two CUNY professors on expanding youth opportunities; a profile of a troubled Bronx assembly district and the prospects for new leadership there; a look at the city's vacant lot policies; a report on New York government transparency; and more. Get caught up on our latest!
Other Stories We're Following

ConEd Paying East Harlem Explosion Victims (Wall Street Journal)

Silver Picks Prominent Lobbyist For Harassment Appeal (Daily News)

City Courts Cut Time Between Arrest And Arraignment (NY Times)

Cuomo To de Blasio Pre-K Supporters: Back Off (Capital)

City's Public Hospitals Get Obamacare Boost (Crain's)

NYPD On Alert For Car Bombs (Daily News)

Cuomo Gives Subtle Boost To Possible Klein Challenge (Politicker)

‘Mansion Tax’ Produces Geyser Of State Revenue (NY Post)

Parents To City: No More School Trailers (WNYC)

Democrats All Around Atop City Government (Wall Street Journal)

Familiar Consultants Hired By de Blasio’s Pre-K Drive (NY Times)

Riders Can Now Track City Buses Using Phones (Associated Press)

NY Attorney General Steps Up Campaign Against Wall St. (Crain's)

Building A Neighborhood On Top Of A Rail Yard (The Atlantic Cities)

Today's Lead: FDNY Bias Suit Settled for $98 Million


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The de Blasio Administration agreed yesterday to $98 million in back-pay to settle a class action lawsuit that the Fire Department entrance exams were racially biased against people of color. Brooklyn Federal Judge Nicholas Garaufis had mandated reforms to increase the diversification of the force in 2011, but his decision that the discrimination was intentional was overruled by a U.S. Court of Appeals, leading to the class action suit.. A trial was scheduled for the end of this month. In 2002 the Vulcan Society, a group of black firefighters, brought the original complaint to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. It was handed over to the courts in 2007. As part of the settlement, the department agreed to appoint a chief of diversity and inclusion, and the city even asked that Garaufis oversee the settlement. The number of minority firefighters has increased from 8 percent in 2002 to 16 percent in 2013, according to the Fire Department. The department is one agency still awaiting appointment of a new commissioner by Mayor Bill de Blasio.
It's Sunshine Week!
Tune in today: As part of national efforts to bring more transparency to government, Citizens Union, along with Reinvent Albany and NYPIRG will live-webcast four State Assembly committee meetings this morning. Starting with a press conference at 10:15 a.m. and using mobile phones to show how easy and inexpensive it can be for the Assembly to webcast its committee meetings, members of these good government organizations will live-stream committee meetings via a special page at GothamGazette.com. Currently, the Assembly does not publicly broadcast its committee meetings, while the State Senate does (as does the NY City Council).
Tune in to watch the live webcast of Assembly committee meetings and join the conversation via #citizenwebcasts on Twitter.
Date: Wednesday, 3/19/14
Time: 10:15 a.m. press conference; 11 a.m.-noon committee meetings
Site: GothamGazette.com/CitizensWebcasts
For a quick primer on what is and what is not transparent about our state and city governments, read Gotham Gazette’s informative article, “ Letting the Sun In: The State of New York Government Transparency.”
(Note: Gotham Gazette is a publication of Citizens Union Foundation)
New at Gotham Gazette
Opinion:  Expanding de Blasio’s Agenda for Youth Opportunities
by CUNY professors Robert Cherry and David C. Bloomfield

Other Stories We're Following

Rikers Struggles With Surge In Violence, Mental Illness (NY Times)

Big Education Questions In Budget Talks (Capital)

How de Blasio Toughened An Affordability Formula (Capital)

NYPD Supervisor Countersues Whistleblower (NY Post)

City Seeks After-School Providers (DNAinfo)

Super PACs Could Lead To Corruption Without State Law (Daily News)

Bidder For LICH Has Checkered Record In Role of Rescuer (NY Times)

Source Of Gas Leak In Harlem Blast Discovered (NY Post)

City Sees Spike In Pre-K Applications (WNYC)

Another Push For The Dream Act (Associated Press)

Call For Elections For Empty Legislative Seats (Associated Press)

A Silent Infrastructure Challenge: Aging Public Buildings (City Limits)

Today’s Lead: State Senate Rejects Dream Act


 

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DREAM Act legislation failed by a margin of two votes in the State Senate last night. The legislation which would have provided tuition assistance to the children of illegal immigrants, was brought up for a surprise vote. Thirty Democrats voted for the bill;all the Republicans voted against it, as well as Democratic Sens. Simcha Felder of Brooklyn and Ted O'Brien of Rochester. Gov. Andrew Cuomo voiced support for the legislation earlier in the day. Legislators and advocates have been trying to make the DREAM Act part of budget negotiations but this vote may have killed that effort. Some Democrats slammed the coalition between the Independent Senate Democrats and Republicans for preventing progressive legislation from passing. Others took it as a positive sign: "Six months ago, no one would have wagered that the DREAM Act would make it to the Senate floor in an election year, let alone come within two votes of passing,” said Democratic Sen. Jose Peralta from Queens, who sponsored the bill.
Looking for a Steward in the 79th AD

A Bronx district with a troubled history seeks new leadership. 
The Mayor’s Vacant Lots 

City seeks to sharpen picture of vacant lots and add incentives to boost affordable housing. 

Letting the Sun in: The State of New York State Government Transparency


City and state get better at sharing data but both show room for improvement.

 


Other Stories We're Following

Cuomo Defends Closed-Door Budget Process (Lower Hudson Journal)

Cuomo’s Elite-Republican Strategy (Capital)

Death of Brooklyn Boy Latest in Spate as City Turns to Traffic Safety (NY Times)

Possible Suitor For LICH Has Checkered Record as Savior (NY Times)

City’s Largest Residential Building Gets Green Light (NY Post)

Federal Suit Filed Over Harlem Charter School (Daily News)

State Suspends Licenses of Tax Deadbeats (Daily News)

Mayor Holds Public Hearing on Paid Sick Leave Bill (NY 1)

Astorino Tries to Translate Spanish Into Votes (Wall Street Journal)

De Blasio Declines to Engage Cuomo on Pre-K (Crain's)




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