New York would legalize possession of small amounts of marijuana, launch programs to help communities that bore the brunt of the national and state drug war and eventually allow marijuana sales to people over the age of 21 under a sweeping bill that lawmakers passed Tuesday. The bill now goes to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has ten days to approve or veto once it lands on his desk — otherwise, the bill becomes law. He has said he will sign it. The Senate voted 40-23 in favor and the Assembly approved it 100-49.

New York is poised to join a growing number of states that have legalized marijuana after state lawmakers reached a deal to allow sales of the drug for recreational use. The agreement reached Saturday would expand the state’s existing medical marijuana program and set up a a licensing and taxation system for recreational sales. Lawmakers are expected to vote on the bill Tuesday, the earliest they could consider it. Legislative leaders hope to vote on the budget Wednesday to meet the deadline of having a budget in place by April 1. It has taken years for the state’s lawmakers to come to a consensus on how to legalize recreational marijuana in New York. Democrats, who now wield a veto-proof majority in the state Legislature, have made passing it a priority this year, and Democratic Gov.

New York state residents over 30 will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations starting Tuesday, and everyone over 16 will be eligible starting April 6, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday. Vaccine eligibility had previously been restricted to people over 50, people in certain job categories and those with health conditions that put them at risk for serious illness if they were to become infected with the coronavirus. Previously, 12.2 million out of over 15 million New Yorkers over the age of 16 were eligible for COVID-19 vaccination as of last week. People over the age of 30 can begin booking appointments at 8 a.m. on Tuesday morning.

Gunshots were fired in the heart of Midwood (Flatbush) today, the second day of Pesach. Sources tell YWN that the incident occurred at around 4:30PM on East 29th Street near Avenue K. It appears that a “road-rage incident” ended with a person firing shots at another vehicle. Thankfully, no one was hurt and the vehicles sped away. The NYPD and Flatbush Shomrim tell YWN that Detectives are investigating, and are informing the community that the incident appears isolated and was not directed at the community whatsoever. JOIN THE TENS OF THOUSANDS WHO ALREADY ARE ALERTED OF BREAKING NEWS LIKE THIS IN LIVE TIME: YWN WHATSAPP STATUS UPDATES: CLICK HERE to join the YWN WhatsApp Status. YWN WHATSAPP GROUPS: CLICK HERE to be added to an official YWN WhatsApp Group.

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING COVID TREATMENT OVER SHABBOS / YOM TOV B”H we now have Monoclonal Antibodies available which have been shown to highly reduce the risk of becoming seriously ill from COVID. If you are COVID positive or have COVID Symptoms with any the following: – Overweight (BMI 35+) – Chronic Kidney Disease – Diabetes – Immunosuppressive Disease – Immunosuppressive Treatment – Pregnant in 2nd and 3rd trimester – 55 Years of age or older with: Cardiovascular disease Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) Chronic Respiratory Disease Asthma – 65 Years of Age or older – Other Medical conditions / High Risk Call the 24/7 hotline at 828-4-Plasma (828-475-2762) even on Shabbos or Yom Tov with a shinui to set up treatment.

New York lawmakers are finalizing an agreement to legalize recreational marijuana sales to adults over the age of 21, a state legislative leader said Wednesday. Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, the second-highest ranking Democrat in the chamber, said the bill is being drafted and will likely be brought up for a vote next week. “An agreement is imminently close, we hope to resolve any final bill language issues over the next few days as we await the final print version of the bill to vote on next week,” Peoples-Stokes told The Associated Press in a statement. New York has come close to passing marijuana legalization several times in recent years, but has been unable to finalize a deal. At least 14 states have legalized recreational marijuana.

A volunteer firefighter who died while trying to rescue residents of an assisted living home in suburban New York that was engulfed in flames was identified Wednesday as a 35-year-old father of two young boys. Jared Lloyd was last heard from when he issued a mayday call early Tuesday from Evergreen Court Home for Adults in the Rockland County community of Spring Valley. He did not make it out of the building as it collapsed. The fire also killed a male resident, who was not identified. “Jared Lloyd gave his life in service to others. He searched as the building burned determined to rescue anyone who may have been trapped,” Rockland County Executive Ed Day said at a news conference. “His loss is devastating. There is no other way to put it.

NY Gov. Cuomo and NY Health Commissioner Zucker directed health officials to prioritize the governor’s own family and figures with ties to his administration in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, the Albany Times-Union reported. Cuomo’s brother, mother and one of his sisters were among those who allegedly received priority tests in March 2020. The bombshell report emerged as Cuomo faces calls to resign after eight women, including current and former aides, accused him of harassment or misconduct. The NYS Attorney General’s Office and the State Assembly are investigating the claims. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

As Flatbush Shomrim continues working to keep our community safe, we are proud to announce that our marked official vehicles will be patrolling the neighborhood on all nights of Yom Tov to ensure the safety and peace of mind of all in the community. Our patrol car will be manned by retired NYPD officers, who will be out most of the night, making sure that everyone gets home safely after the Sedarim. We encourage residence who are away for Pesach to keep an eye on their security cameras from wherever you may be. For those who do not have cameras, we suggest getting the Ring or Blink cameras. They are cheap and work efficiently, and can be accessed from anywhere.

Seven leading mayoral candidates took time out from their campaign to help out with the nation’s largest Pesach food distribution in the last few days. Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, Obama cabinet secretary Shaun Donovan, businessman Ray McGuire, New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, and businessman Andrew Yang all joined Met Council and UJO-Williamsburg at the Brooklyn Navy Yard on Sunday, helping load up cars and trucks with basic staples and seder essentials for thousands of families. Last week, on Wednesday, former New York City Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia joined volunteers at Commonpoint Queens and helped our distribution in Forest Hills.