New York’s attorney general added Tuesday to the growing pile of lawsuits seeking to halt disruptions to the U.S. Postal Service ahead of November’s presidential election, saying several communities in her state have gone some days without mail. Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, said the changes imposed by President Donald Trump’s administration amounted to voter suppression with the use of mail-in ballots expected to surge while people stay home because of the coronavirus pandemic. Trump is an ardent opponent of voting by mail, even though he has voted by mail himself. He speculates that widespread use of mail-in ballots could lead to fraud.

Unions representing New York transit workers are demanding swift access to protective gear, better enforcement of mask-wearing and increased service as more businesses and schools re-open their doors. MTA Chairman Patrick Foye told lawmakers at a Tuesday legislative hearing that subway ridership remains three-quarters below pre-pandemic levels. It’s an unprecedented drop for a mass transit system that once served over three-quarters of the nearly four million people who commuted to Manhattan each day, according to Manhattan Institute Senior Fellow Nicole Gelinas. Foye said subways saw an average 1.3 million customers per week day as of last week. Bus ridership is around 1.3 million, down nearly 40% from last year.

Today the Justice Department requested COVID-19 data from the governors of states that issued orders which may have resulted in the deaths of thousands of elderly nursing home residents. New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan required nursing homes to admit COVID-19 patients to their vulnerable populations, often without adequate testing. For example, on March 25, 2020, New York ordered: “No resident shall be denied re-admission or admission to [a nursing home] solely based on a confirmed or suspected diagnosis of COVID-19.

Amar’e Stoudemire, an American-Israeli professional basketball player for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Premier League and the EuroLeague, announced on Wednesday on his Instagram account that he has officially converted to Judaism. “It’s official,” wrote Stoudemire. ” I finalized my final meeting with the Beth Din and went to the Mikva, Graduation complete. Hebrew name is Yahoshafat Ben Avraham.” Stoudemire has been learning b’chavrusah for an extended period of time with an avreich from Yeshivas Orchos Yosher in Bnei Brak, the kollel headed by Hagaon Harav Chaim’s Kanievsky’s oldest son, HaRav Avraham Yishayahu, Kikar H’Shabbos reported.

Flatbush Hatzolah is alerting their membership of the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases. The internal memo sent to their members states that they have transported a few COVID-19 cases to the hospital in the past few weeks, and reminds their EMT’s and Paramedics to take all precautions, and wear all protective equipment when responding to emergency calls. The memo, (attached below), ends off with asking their members to say Tehillim for a 57-year-old Boro Park resident that is in critical condition with COVID-19 and has been placed on a ventilator. His name is Moshe Yehuda ben Necha Faiga.

August 25, 2020 Dear Community Member, We want to advise you that over the last few weeks, and especially during the previous few days, we have seen an increase in COVID-19 cases. While B”H many of the cases appear to be relatively minor, there have been an increase in cases with more severe symptoms as well as hospitalizations and ICU admissions. With the summer coming to a close and people returning from vacation, as well as the hopeful start of the school year and upcoming Yomim Tovim, we would like to remind everyone of the following: NOW IS THE TIME TO BE EXTRA CAUTIOUS! If we aren’t extremely strict and careful with following the recommendations of the CDC, State and Local Governments, and other healthcare professionals, we can c’’v see a deadly resurgence.

Steve Bannon won’t have to come to a Manhattan courthouse next week for a hearing on charges that he defrauded donors to a fund promoted to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres said President Donald Trump’s former chief strategist can appear in her court along with three co-defendants on a video screen because of the health threat posed by the coronavirus. Bannon, 66, has pleaded not guilty to charges alleging he siphoned a million dollars from the $25 million fund to pay personal expenses and a salary for a co-defendant. Prosecutors say thousands of investors contributed to the fund after they were promised that all of the money would be spent on the wall and no organizers would be compensated.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a plan to encourage outdoor instruction when schools start next month. Also on Monday, museums across the state and gyms outside of New York City got the go-ahead to reopen as the easing of coronavirus restrictions continued. ___ MAYOR ANNOUNCES OUTDOOR LEARNING PLAN New York City officials will work to make outdoor instruction space available in parks and on closed-off streets in an effort to prevent new coronavirus infections when school starts next month, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday. “We want to give schools the option to do as much outdoors as they can,” de Blasio said.

New York’s Democratic attorney general asked a court Monday to enforce subpoenas issued as part of her investigation into whether President Donald Trump or his businesses lied about the value of a sprawling suburban estate and other assets in order to get loans or tax benefits. Attorney General Letitia James said that her civil investigation of potential fraud in Trump’s business dealings, which began last year, has been held up by a lack of cooperation from the president and his family. The petition seeking the court’s intervention was filed after lawyers for one of the president’s sons, Eric Trump, abruptly cancelled his planned interview with investigators late last month. James is seeking to compel Eric Trump’s testimony.

The past two weeks have seen a small spike in COVID-19 cases in various Frum Communities, YWN has learned. There have been a few new cases in Flatbush, Boro Park, Williamsburg, Crown Heights, Monsey (Rockland County), and some in the Catskills. While the vast majority of these cases have either mild symptoms or no symptoms at all, a few of the cases have resulted in hospiizations. In Boro Park, the Bobober Mosdos are warning their Kehilah about the uptick in COVID-19 cases in the community and urging those with underlying illnesses or over 60 years old to follow social distancing rules. A flyer in Yiddish from Bobov was sent out to their Chassidim (see below). The notice states that there are some cases who have been admitted to the ICU.