NY1 reports: While Anthony Weiner has been busy announcing his mayoral candidacy, the other Democratic hopefuls gathered this morning for a debate and spoke about the disgraced former congressman’s decision to enter the already crowded field.
Among those in attendance at the Crain’s New York Business debate in Midtown were Sal Albanese, John Liu, Christine Quinn and Bill Thompson. Read more »
NYMag Reports: Joe Biden spoke last night in honor of Jewish American Heritage Month. Biden has long, deep ties to the Jewish community — Obama actually picked him in 2008 in part to reassure skittish Jewish Democrats. Biden indeed offered fulsome, heartfelt praise in his remarks, before wandering into highly uncomfortable terrain and delivering a speech that is likely to be quoted by anti-Semites for years and decades to come. (It’s already the subject of excited discussion among the white supremacist community.)
Said Biden: Read more »
Jpost: US Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday night lauded the influence of Judaism on the United States, specifically mentioning the efforts of Jews on gay rights issues, according a report on the Politico website.
“The truth is that Jewish heritage, Jewish culture, Jewish values are such an essential part of who we are that it’s fair to say that Jewish heritage is American heritage,” Biden said during a speech at a Jewish American Heritage Month reception hosted by the Democratic National Committee at the American Institute of Architects building in Washington. Read more »
JTA reports: Jewish groups are joining the effort to help those displaced by the tornado in suburban Oklahoma City.
Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, announced Tuesday that his organization will collect donations and distribute them to the American Red Cross and others on the ground in Oklahoma. Read more »
The Weekly Standard reports: Speaking at a Jewish American Heritage Month reception last night in Washington, D.C., Vice President Joe Biden requested the “teleprompter in the to be taken down,” according to the pool report.
Then he made a joke: “You can’t tell Barack that the teleprompter’s down. The standing joke in the office is Barack’s learning to speak without a teleprompter; I’m learning to speak with one.” Read more »
Quinnipiac: City Council Speaker Christine Quinn leads the pack for the Democratic nomination for New York City mayor with 25 percent, with former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner at 15 percent, followed by Public Advocate Bill de Blasio and former Comptroller William Thompson in a horse race for third place, according to a Quinnipiac University poll today.
This compares to Speaker Quinn’s 28 percent top position in an April 19 survey by the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University. Read more »
CNN reports: Eric Garcetti won the Los Angeles mayoral race, and will become the first Jewish mayor of the nation’s second-largest city.
“Thank you Los Angeles — the hard work begins but I am honored to lead this city for the next four years,” Garcetti, 42, wrote on Twitter on Wednesday morning. “Let’s make this a great city again.”
His opponent, Wendy Greuel, did not immediately issue a statement. But the Los Angeles Times reported that she called Garcetti early Wednesday to concede. Read more »
Well, they can’t back Weiner due to hisscandal but they can’t back someone else either which by default would hurt Huma because her Husband… Anthony Weiner will lose. Hillary cares very much for Huma and would not want to see her in pain. Huma Abedin lives with Weiner and is featured in his kick-off video too, leaving the Clinton’s with only the option of publically staying out.
Voters in the East Ramapo Central School District decided on a $209.9 million Budget proposal which would mean a 3.13% property Tax Hike. In addition, the election decided three seats on the Board of Education.
10:52: As of now it seems the Jewish Community produced about 6,500-7,000 votes vs 4,500-5,000 for the other communities.
10:57: Tax Payers candidates seem to have won the election. Neither of them are Jewish but they had strong support among Private School parents, tax payers and also among the Jewish Community. Read more »
In a meeting today with orthodox Jewish community leaders Mayoral hopeful John Catsimatidis suggested that the controversial Jewish custom be left alone by the government authorities, and additionally he suggested that he strongly believes that the city should provide some sort of tuition relief to orthodox Jewish families who send their kids to private schools. Watch Video Here Read more »
Crew of 42 picked this up From Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL): Congressman Alcee Hastings (D-Miramar), along with Representatives Henry Waxman, John Lewis, Eliot Engel, Ted Deutch, and Terri Sewell will host an important breakfast for Black and Jewish Members of Congress on Wednesday, May 22nd from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM in HVC-200 of the Capitol Visitors Center.
The breakfast will include a discussion of the history of Black and Jewish relations, as well as how to increase engagement between these two communities. Read more »
In his response to a question on why crime is down in New York City, Mayoral Candidate John Catsimatidis credited the drop to the NYPD’s Stop & Frisk policy, and pledges to keep the policy in place if he gets elected mayor, he also suggested that the crime stats are probably tampered with, “none of us are fools, I’m sure they’re cooking the books” he said. Watch the Video Here Read more »
LoHud Reports: A developer’s plan to build nearly 500 houses on Patrick Farm faces another roadblock, in addition to lawsuits challenging the town’s approval of the project. The Army Corps of Engineers has issued a letter saying it intends to evaluate the extent of environmentally protected wetlands amid the 206 acres along the route 202-306 corridor outside Pomona.
“Based on our latest review … it appears that (builder) Scenic Development has proposed work in wetlands and/or waters … that may require a Department of the Army permit,” the agency said in a May 16 letter. Read more »
Former President Jimmy Carter met with Bolivian President Evo Morales and former President Eduardo Rodriguez in Georgia yesterday to discuss numerous topics, including Bolivia’s continued detainment of Brooklyn businessman Jacob Ostreicher. President Carter expressed his concern about Ostreicher’s five month house arrest in Bolivia during a discussion about U.S. – Bolivian relations and the inter American human rights system. – VINNews
JNO: Muslim religious leaders from the Middle East, US, Africa and Europe have joined Jewish scholars and rabbis on a visit to a former Nazi concentration camp in Germany. The tour group, led by US rabbi and Holocaust refugee Jack Bemporad, visited Dachau camp as part of an educational tour of concentration camps in Germany and Poland. See Video Read more »
NYC Elects: With Anthony Weiner about to pop into the race for mayor any minute, one of his Democratic rivals demanded yesterday that he pay up $350,000 for the cost of the election required to fill his vacated congressional seat two years ago, after resigning for tweeting lewd pictures of himself. Read more »
NPR: After destructive tornados ripped through Oklahoma towns, President Barack Obama made a statement Tuesday regarding the federal government’s commitment to recovery efforts. He said, “Our prayers are with the people of Oklahoma and we will back up those prayers with deeds as long as it takes.” See Video Read more »
Haaretz reports: Justice Minister Tzipi Livni leveled criticism on Monday at the statements made by Yair Lapid on the topic of negotiations with the Palestinians in an interview for The New York Times.
“Lapid’s texts do not coincide with his party’s elections promises,” NRG quoted her as saying. “[His] comments, made on such a delicate week, do not promote the peace process. I hope Yesh Atid will eventually also join the push for peace,” she said. Read more »
ABC news: Americans in a new ABC News/Washington Post poll sharply reject special scrutiny of conservative groups by the Internal Revenue Service, suspect an administration cover-up of the Benghazi incident and express substantial distrust of the federal government more generally. Read more »
