The News

Scott Stringer protects white part of downtown NYC; Feds arrest immigrants in RI courthouse raids

ICE Raids Providence Courthouses
Dozens were arrested yesterday in several raids across six Providence courthouses. Since RI Governor Don Carcieri issued an executive order cracking down on illegal immigration in the state, protest has sparked an intense debate about immigration reform, as well as other state entities’ roles. A spokesperson claims that those detained were not state employees; rather, they “worked for two cleaning and maintenance contractors hired by the state.” The spokesperson did not elaborate on the RI judiciary’s responsibility to the detained nor on their own screening and hiring practices. The Providence Journal.

Downtown Manhattan Rezoning Plan Protects Predominately White Nabes
In a plan recently approved by Community Board 3, seventy-three percent of the white residences on the east side of Manhattan below 14th Street will be protected from development. The remaining area, which is majority Asian and Latino, will be left open to the constant push for more luxury condos. The Coalition to Preserve the Lower East Side staged a trilingual press conference yesterday outside Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer’s office, claiming the plan has not received sufficient community review. This latest blow comes in a long history of re-zoning betrayals for Manhattan’s Chinatown, which according to Hunter College professor Tom Agnotti, “is getting squeezed on all sides.” The Village Voice

Bush’s attempt to Veto Medicare Bill Futile
The new Medicare measure became the fourth bill to become legislation despite the President’s rejection, as it passed through the House and Senate yesterday. Bush called the bill “fiscally irresponsible,” even as he relented that he also opposed it due to the effect it would have on large privately-owned insurers like Humana and BlueShield. The new legislation cancels a ten percent cut in doctor’s payments, stalling the further disintegration of the state medical system. The New York Times

Latino Cops File for Discrimination in Colorado
Sixteen police officers filed a class-action lawsuit against the Denver Police Department for a “wide range” of discriminatory policies and practices. The case began with complaints filed by twenty-seven different officers. Denver Daily News

Posted at 7:30 AM, Jul 16, 2008 in News | Permalink | View Comments