Day: August 3, 2026

Russian Opposition Politician Flees to France  The New York Times

ELDERLY AND DISABLED MUNICIPAL RETIREES will receive refunds for unlawfully charged medical copays, as part of a $53 million settlement.

The post City and Emblem Health will refund copays to retirees as part of settlement   appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.

The wait is almost over as the hit series “Gravesend” prepares to return for its highly anticipated third season.

The independently produced crime drama, written, created by and starring Brooklyn native William DeMeo, has wrapped production on its newest season and is set to return to Amazon Prime in two parts. The first six episodes are expected to debut in late September or October, with a trailer slated for release this week.

“It’s a long process because we shot a lot of episodes,” DeMeo told Brooklyn Paper. “To do it independently is not easy for us to be able to pull off what we did.”

Season three expands the show’s already recognizable cast with several high-profile additions, including Tony Danza, Talia Shire, Vince Curatola, rapper Maino, Peter Gunz, Big Daddy Kane and basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal.

For DeMeo, working alongside actors and entertainers he admired growing up has remained one of the most rewarding parts of producing the Brooklyn-based series. 

“It’s amazing,” he said. “For me to work with people who I grew up admiring — Tony Danza, who’s originally from East New York, and all these people like Vinny Pastore and Chazz Palminteri and Dominic Chianese, who was in ‘The Godfather,’ and Talia Shire, who was in ‘The Godfather’ and ‘Rocky’. Just to have these icons in the show, it’s really, really remarkable.”

True to its roots, “Gravesend” continues to showcase Brooklyn itself as one of the show’s biggest stars. 

Rather than recreating neighborhoods on studio lots, the production filmed at beloved institutions including Brennan & Carr, Villabate Bakery, L&B Spumoni Gardens, Luigi’s Pizza in Park Slope, Crispy Pizza and Da Vinci’s Pizza. 

“We really take pride in it,” DeMeo said. “A lot of times people shoot this stuff on Hollywood lots, where we shoot right there. We shoot where all these street people hung out, and it makes it so much more immersive.”

The familiar settings help viewers recognize neighborhoods they’ve visited or grown up in, adding another layer of authenticity to the series’ portrayal of 1980s Brooklyn.

That authenticity also extends to “Gravesend’s” newest characters. DeMeo said O’Neal’s addition broadens the story by introducing another side of Brooklyn.

“Fans can expect to see the same thing they see in the first two [seasons], which is the real deal of what it was like to grow up in Brooklyn in the ’80s,” he said. “They could expect a new element with Shaq, which brings the other side of Brooklyn, like Bed-Stuy.”

DeMeo added that audiences may be surprised by O’Neal’s acting performance.

“His performance is [incredible]. You’re talking about somebody who is arguably one of the top five most recognizable people in the world, and he really showed up as an actor in the show,” he said. “I think people are going to tune in just to see his performance.”

The upcoming season arrives following the death of Pastore over the weekend. The veteran actor, who appeared in “Gravesend” as Donnie “Glasses” Sisto, was best known for his role as Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero on HBO’s acclaimed crime drama “The Sopranos,” a performance that earned him a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Pastore was found dead Saturday at his home. He was 80.

DeMeo told Brooklyn Paper that Pastore was one of his closest friends.

“It’s been very hard for me with Vinny because he was a very dear friend of mine,” DeMeo said. “He was like a brother.”

Reflecting on Pastore’s legacy, DeMeo recalled the birthday celebrations they hosted together and said he has been moved by the outpouring of tributes following the actor’s death.

“I don’t even think Vinny really realized how big of a star he was,” he said. “If you look online and social media, everybody is sharing him. He’s being covered by TMZ and all these news channels. He’s someone really dear to my heart.”

DeMeo also acknowledged how difficult it will be to replace actors like Pastore, whose real-life Brooklyn roots helped shape the series.

“These guys are like the last of the Mohicans,” he said. “He’s irreplaceable. There’s only a handful of these guys left to play these parts. They’re so authentic. That’s why they’re in ‘The Sopranos’. That’s why they’re in all these big movies. That’s why it’s special to me to be able to work with all these icons.”

With production complete and the trailer on the way, DeMeo said fans won’t have to wait much longer before returning to the streets of “Gravesend.”

“The wait is over,” he said. “‘Gravesend’ Season three is coming.” 

Зохран Мамдани пришёл к власти, обвиняя Эрика Адамса в финансовом кризисе, расточительстве и неправильном управлении системой приютов. Но, оказавшись в мэрии, он не отменил одну из самых дорогих схем своего предшественника. Вместо этого администрация Мамдани решила продолжить её ещё на три года, предусмотрев до $1,865 млрд на гостиничное размещение бездомных.

НЬЮ-ЙОРК — Распространяемый в Facebook постинг утверждает, что администрация мэра Зохрана Мамдани продлила контракт стоимостью $1,86 млрд, позволяющий размещать бездомных жителей Нью-Йорка в гостиницах до 2029 года.

Вердикт: основная цифра и сроки соответствуют официальным документам. Что подтвердил официальный City Record

В официальном выпуске The City Record от 28 июля 2026 года Департамент по делам бездомных Нью-Йорка, DHS, сообщил о продлении контракта с HANYC Foundation Inc.

В документе указаны:

• сумма продления — $1,864,916,716.95;
• срок — с 1 июля 2026 года по 30 июня 2029 года;
• назначение — гостиничные услуги для чрезвычайных программ DHS;
• номер закупки — 07124N0007001R001.

Таким образом, центральное утверждение постинга о сумме и сроке является правдивым.

Но этот контракт появился не при Мамдани

Вирусная картинка не объясняет, что Мамдани не создавал эту схему с нуля.

Первоначальный контракт был подготовлен ещё в январе 2025 года при администрации Эрика Адамса. Уже тогда официальное объявление предусматривало:

• основной период с 1 января 2025 года по 30 июня 2026 года;
• возможность единственного продления ещё на три года — до 30 июня 2029 года.

Следовательно, администрация Мамдани воспользовалась заранее предусмотренной опцией старого контракта, а не неожиданно придумала новый трёхлетний гостиничный проект.

Окончательная зарегистрированная стоимость первоначального контракта составляла $929,104,960 за 18 месяцев. Продление предусматривает около $1,865 млрд за три года. При пересчёте на один год расходы практически не изменились: примерно $619 млн в год по первоначальному контракту против $622 млн в год по продлению.

Означает ли это, что город уже потратил $1,86 млрд?

Нет. Указанная сумма является стоимостью или предельным объёмом трёхлетнего контракта, а не подтверждением того, что все деньги уже выплачены гостиницам.

Город получает возможность использовать гостиничные номера в зависимости от потребности системы приютов. Однако сам факт такого разрешения означает, что администрация сохраняет гостиничную модель ещё на три года и резервирует под неё чрезвычайно крупную сумму.

Кроме того, контракт с HANYC главным образом обеспечивает гостиничные помещения и их обслуживание. Питание, охрана, медицинская, юридическая и социальная помощь могут оплачиваться через отдельные контракты, поэтому совокупная стоимость содержания людей в гостиничных приютах может быть выше стоимости только этого соглашения.

Почему город продолжает использовать гостиницы

DHS объясняет, что коммерческие гостиницы используются, когда в обычных приютах не хватает мест. В официальном объявлении говорится, что город намерен постепенно отказаться от гостиниц, но пока обязан сохранять дополнительную вместимость для выполнения установленного в Нью-Йорке требования предоставлять временное убежище нуждающимся.

Масштаб проблемы остаётся значительным. По официальному ежедневному отчёту DHS, на 30 июля 2026 года в городской системе приютов находились 82 929 человек, включая 54 836 взрослых и 28 093 ребёнка.

Итог проверки

Постинг правильно указывает сумму $1,86 млрд и срок до 2029 года. Администрация Мамдани действительно решила воспользоваться трёхлетней опцией продления гостиничного контракта.

Но необходимо добавить три уточнения:

Во-первых, первоначальный контракт и возможность его продления были утверждены ещё при администрации Адамса.

Во-вторых, $1,86 млрд — это сумма трёхлетнего контрактного обязательства, а не доказательство того, что все деньги уже потрачены.

В-третьих, контракт не означает, что все бездомные будут постоянно жить в гостиницах до 2029 года. Он позволяет DHS использовать гостиничные номера по мере необходимости.

THE VENERABLE BARCADE, a neighborhood mainstay since 2004, is set to close its doors in under three years.

The post Barcade sets 1,000-day timeline until closure appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.

Police said that officers performing a wellness check discovered the body of a 58-year-old man, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

The post Body found with knife in neck in Bed-Stuy home appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.

Pediatric patients at Maimonides Medical Center got a rare respite from the routine of hospital life when a team of “superheroes” took a break from fighting crime and swung by for a surprise visit on July 31.

Five professional window washers from Continental Cleaning Services traded their regular work attire and squeegees for superhero costumes — Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, Black Panther and Wolverine — and rappelled from the roof of Maimonides to the pediatric unit’s sixth-floor windows, turning an ordinary morning into a heartwarming, morale-boosting spectacle. After their airborne entrance, the quintet of metahumans visited the hospital’s 25-bed pediatric inpatient unit and pediatric emergency room, shaking hands and posing for photos.

The special event, long in the works, was a collaboration between the Environmental Services team and hospital staff, explained Alexis Ellis, director of Maimonides’ Patient and Family Support and a certified child life specialist.

“We thought it was a cool idea. It took a little while of planning, but our partnership with EVS made it happen,” Ellis said, noting that the surprise visit was a welcome distraction and morale booster not only for pediatric patients being treated for a range of illnesses, including cancer, but also for staff.

“Being in the hospital is hard, and so when you have a little bit of a fun distraction, it makes the days a little bit easier,” Ellis said. “This really changed the mood of the day. You get a little more excitement, a little less of just the sadness of being here for a long period of time. Families are scared. They’re worried, and if we can make even a small part of this experience better for them, that’s what we strive to do.”

Valerie Fequire, senior director of Environmental Services at Crothall Healthcare, said Continental Cleaning Services embraced the idea and brought in its team when she presented the concept.

“I truly believe that healing is not just about medicine; it’s about joy, bringing some laughter and smiles to our patients. So we’re excited to do this today,” Fequire said. “The kids were as excited as we were. This hospital is all about collaboration. We take pride in what we do here, and these events are as exciting for the whole hospital.”

Pedro, a window washer who became Wolverine for the day, told Brooklyn Paper that brightening the children’s day was an “amazing” experience for him and his colleagues.

“I loved to see those kids happy and smiling,” Pedro said.

Families said the visit was a much-needed distraction for their children.

“Personally, I think it’s really amazing that people take the time out to bring joy to the children when they’re going through such a hard time,” said Jenis Diaz, whose child is a patient in the pediatric unit.

Five-year-old Imran, a patient in the pediatric emergency room, was thrilled by the unexpected encounter with the superheroes and meeting his favorite character, Wolverine, who gifted him a pair of claws. Imran’s father, Ali, said the visit brightened his son’s day.

“He was surprised to meet the superheroes, especially with the upcoming movie Spider-Man,” Ali said.

The visit coincided with the July 31 U.S. theatrical release of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.”

1. The surprising reason why Brooklyn Bridge naked jumper may have survived ‘overwhelmingly fatal’ plunge  New York Post
2. Naked man who jumped off Brooklyn Bridge is arrested and charged  NBC News
3. Man who jumped naked from the Brooklyn Bridge hit with criminal charges  amNewYork
4. Man, 44, arrested for leaping naked into the East River from the Brooklyn Bridge  New York Daily News
5. Naked man survives after jumping from Brooklyn Bridge  USA Today
6. Brooklyn Bridge Jumper Identified After Naked Leap Into East River  Patch
7. Naked man survives 80m jump off Brooklyn Bridge  The Times
8. Video: Man Miraculously Survives Fall After Jumping Naked From Brooklyn Bridge  NDTV
9. Naked jumper who leaped from Brooklyn Bridge and miraculously survived identified  New York Post

Roughly 2,000 applications for an exemption from New York City’s new second-home tax have been completed by applicants, according to the city’s Department of Finance.

Another 4,800 applications have been started but not submitted, the agency said. Together, the number of applications started or submitted is equivalent to about 40% of the approximately 17,000 notices sent to property owners warning that they may be subject to the surcharge.

The approximately 2,000 figure represents applications completed by applicants, not exemptions granted, DOF stressed. The agency said it is reviewing applications on a rolling basis and will notify applicants once it has made a determination.

How many of the initially identified properties are ultimately exempted could help determine whether the surcharge produces the $500 million in annual revenue budgeted by Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration.

In a June analysis conducted after the final legislation was enacted, Comptroller Mark Levine’s office calculated a notional surcharge of approximately $1.008 billion across 13,586 properties and units before the full extent of primary-residence exemptions and appeals was known.

Two- and three-family homes accounted for $141 million of that notional total. The comptroller’s office said collections from those properties were likely to fall substantially because an entire two- or three-family property is exempt if at least one unit serves as a qualifying primary residence.

Even after removing two- and three-family homes from the calculation, the office said primary-residence exemptions, appeals and changes in owner behavior could reduce the remaining notional revenue by about 40% before placing the city’s $500 million forecast at risk.

Mamdani nevertheless said Monday that he remained confident the surcharge would produce the anticipated revenue needed to plug the city budget deficit. 

“Look, I continue to believe that the pied-à-terre surcharge will raise $500 million on an annual basis,” Mamdani said during a press conference in Hunts Point.

His comments came after the administration extended the exemption-application deadline over the weekend to Sept. 18, nearly a month beyond the original deadlines, amid confusion over who may be subject to the tax and complaints from some longtime residents who received notices despite saying the properties were their primary homes.

The administration also announced expanded outreach to co-op and condominium boards, property managers, senior centers, elected officials and property owners who received notices.

Mamdani defended the rollout Monday when he was twice asked whether he regretted how the city had introduced the surcharge. He acknowledged property owners’ concerns but did not express regret, arguing that the city sent the notices months before the tax would be imposed so recipients could correct inaccurate information or establish that they qualify for an exemption.

“I think first and foremost that I understand the concerns New Yorkers have, especially when it comes to a new tax,” Mamdani said. “And as we know, that new taxes typically present more questions than they do answers.”

Mamdani also sought to distinguish the approximately 17,000 warning letters from the supplemental property assessment rolls published online, which contain more than 900,000 residential property and co-op unit records.

The broader rolls were not a list of properties the city had determined were second homes, he said. The letters were sent to the smaller group that DOF identified as potentially subject to the surcharge.

Mamdani said the approximately 17,000 properties represent the maximum number that could be subject to the surcharge.

The final number could decline as the city determines whether properties held through trusts or limited liability companies are nevertheless used as qualifying primary residences.

“The assessment of 17,000 properties potentially being levied with this surcharge, that is the maximum number of properties,” Mamdani said.

The mayor said the city wanted owners to have an opportunity to engage with officials before any charge was imposed.

“The thing we did not want to do was levy this charge without giving New Yorkers a period of time where they could engage with the city,” Mamdani said. “And now that’s this period of engagement.”

The rollout was already under scrutiny last week, when DOF Commissioner Richard Lee acknowledged that some of the records used to identify possible taxpayers may be outdated.

Lee also said the department was still working through how the surcharge would be administered in co-op buildings, where property taxes are generally billed collectively to the cooperative corporation rather than directly to individual shareholders.

The surcharge applies to certain high-value New York City properties that are not used as qualifying primary residences.

For one-, two- and three-family homes, the surcharge applies to properties valued by DOF at $5 million or more, with rates ranging from 0.8% to 1.3%. During the program’s first two years, condo and co-op units valued at $1 million or more may face rates of 4% to 6.5%.

A property may be exempt if it is the primary residence of its owner, certain immediate family members, the sole beneficiary of a trust or people who collectively hold a majority stake in the entity that owns it. Units rented or sublet under an arm’s-length lease of at least one year may also qualify.

Property owners who received notices have until Sept. 18 to apply for an exemption through DOF. They can also appeal the agency’s market-value or primary-residence determination to the city Tax Commission.

Any surcharge imposed is expected to appear on property tax bills due Jan. 1, 2027.