New York is suing Amazon, claiming the company failed to provide workers with a safe environment at two warehouses in the state as COVID-19 infections surged nationwide. The suit from New York Attorney General Letitia James landed just days after Amazon preemptively sued to block the suit over its coronavirus safety protocols and the firing of one of its employees who objected to working conditions. In the suit filed late Tuesday, New York claims Amazon showed a “flagrant disregard for health and safety requirements” and retaliated illegally against employees who raised alarms. James opened an investigation into Amazon in March following complaints about the lack of precautions taken to protect employees at New York facilities amid the pandemic.

Several New York lawmakers are proposing a tax hike for individuals making at least $300,000 per year in hopes of bringing in an estimated $15 billion in annual revenue. It’s the latest proposal to raise taxes on high earners and is the only legislation so far this year to propose raising taxes on people making below $1 million. The bill’s left-wing backers include Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and the Working Families party. Supporters say the tax hike would help relieve the huge drain on state revenue cause by the pandemic and avoid Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposal to cut state-spending 5% across-the-board and delay the start of new middle class tax cuts for one year.

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for New York City ahead of 6 to 12 inches of snow arriving Thursday. It starts off cold Wednesday with temperatures in the 20s and RealFeels in the teens in the morning. The high will reach 32 by afternoon. Clouds increase in the evening before snow arrives from the southwest overnight. Snow is slated to start falling on the five boroughs during the Thursday morning commute and continue throughout the day before changing over to sleet and rain by Thursday night, according to AccuWeather. A Winter Storm Watch is in effect for New York City from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday. The city and inland suburbs will see anywhere from 6 to 10 inches of snow, while coastal areas should get 3 to 6 inches of accumulation.

NY Governor Cuomo says summer camps can plan on reopening this summer. Cuomo made the announcement at Wednesday’s press conference. “As of now, overnight summer camps can plan on reopening. That doesn’t happen until June and we hope the current trajectory stay until June 1. We’re keeping an eye on these variants of interest, but they can plan on reopening.” Beginning March 26th, indoor family entertainment centers can reopen, Cuomo says. Outdoor amusement parks can reopen on April 9. DEVEOPING STORY

Many New York City police discipline records can be made public over the objections of unions, an appeals court ruled Tuesday in a decision praised by the city and civil rights lawyers as likely to improve the ability of the public to police its police department. The ruling by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan upheld a decision last year by Judge Katherine Polk Failla. Unions had opposed a new state transparency law on the grounds that it would unfairly taint the reputations of police officers, endangering them and affecting their future employment. Hank Sheinkopf, a spokesperson for the New York Law Enforcement Labor Coalition, said the unions will be reviewing all options, including appeals.

Please say Tehillim for Hagaon HaRav Dovid Cohen Shlita, one of the leading Poskei Hador. HaRav Cohen was taken to the hospital on Tuesday, and is undergoing tests. HaRav Cohen is the Rov of Gevul Yaavetz in Flatbush, and Paskens hundreds of Shailos each week, as people call his home from all parts of the globe seeking his P’sakim. He is the Mechaber of many, many Seforim. His name for Tehillim is Dovid ben Esther Malka. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

I have nothing but praise for the Roshei Yeshiva and Rabbonim of Lakewood. They took a bold move and put out strict guidelines for this coming Purim. They cancelled their Purim Mesiba. These decisions were likely painful and hard to make. Yet they did them, and they should be lauded and commended. The Rabbonim of Los Angeles have released a letter calling on out of towners NOT to come and collect there. It was signed by just about every Rov in Los Angeles. What about Flatbush, Boro Park, Williamsburg, Monsey, Five Towns, Chicago, Crown Heights etc etc? Will we hear similar announcements from our leadership? Besides for the sakonas nefashos of even one person getting sick and rachmana litzlan dying, what about the potential Chillul Hashem that will be caused?

New York City’s subways will run for two more hours every day starting later this month, and the nightly system shutdown for cleaning will be reduced as part of a phased reopening, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said Monday. Starting Feb. 22, subways will run until 2 a.m., and start again at 4 a.m., the first expansion of operating hours since shutdowns were instituted in May of last year to allow for cleanings during the pandemic. “We have determined that a shortened overnight closure is an appropriate step forward towards the return of around-the-clock service,” said Sarah Feinberg, interim New York City Transit president, at a press conference with Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The cleanings that had gone on between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m.

Under fire over his management of the coronavirus’ lethal path through New York’s nursing homes, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday the state didn’t cover up deaths but should have moved faster to release some information sought by lawmakers, the public and the press. “All the deaths in the nursing homes and hospitals were always fully, publicly and accurately reported,” the Democratic governor said, weeks after the state was forced to acknowledge that its count of nursing home deaths excluded thousands of residents who perished after being taken to hospitals. He explained the matter Monday as a difference of “categorization,” with the state counting where deaths occurred and others seeking total deaths of nursing home residents, regardless of the location.

A man charged with stabbing four people, two fatally, in the New York City subway system was ordered held without bail Monday. Rigoberto Lopez was arraigned on murder and attempted murder charges. A court complaint said he confessed to the attacks. A message seeking comment was left for Lopez’s attorney. One victim was discovered dead on a subway train in Queens late Friday with several stab wounds to his neck and torso, police said. Two hours later, a 44-year-old woman, Claudine Roberts, was found stabbed to death in a subway car in upper Manhattan. Her father, Winston Roberts, told the New York Post that she struggled with mental illness since her teens. She had had been living in a shelter after recently getting out of a hospital, but she stopped by his home just Wednesday, he said.