Dear Governor Cuomo, The education of New York’s children is essential, and our school system must be included in Phase 1 of New York’s reopening plan. All our school children are struggling, but none more so than special needs students, who have now been without necessary services for months. Special needs students are bearing the greatest burden for school closures with catastrophic, life-altering repercussions. As New York begins to re-open under the appropriate CDC and DOH safety guidelines, schools, including non-public schools, must be a priority. Education cannot and should not be delayed until Phase 4. The unprecedented shift to shelter in place will undoubtedly have a profound and long-lasting impact on our young people’s academic, social, emotional, and life outcomes.

New Yorkers experiencing cabin fever after two months of coronavirus quarantine received an unexpected reprieve when Gov. Andrew Cuomo eased the state’s ban on gatherings in time for the Memorial Day weekend. But beachgoers faced inclement weather Saturday that dampened crowds. A look at those and other coronavirus developments in New York: ___ DAILY DEATHS DROPPING New York state on Saturday reported its lowest number of daily coronavirus deaths — 84 — in weeks in what Cuomo described as a critical benchmark. The daily death tally peaked at 799 on April 8. Reducing the state’s daily death count to fewer than 100 seemed almost impossible several weeks ago, the governor said.

The NYPD has shut down a children’s carnival in Williamsburg on Friday afternoon. Sources tell YWN that the police arrived at Bedford Ave and Lynch Street, and found a few tables with children selling popcorn and lemonade stand. Dozens of children were on line happily purchasing treats, when the cops arrived and shut the carnival down. A summons with a court date was issued to the father of one of the children. WATCH THE VIDEOS BELOW STAY UPDATED WITH BREAKING UPDATES FROM YWN VIA WHATSAPP – SIGN UP NOW Just click on this link, and you will be placed into a group. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

New Jersey is loosening restrictions on the number of people allowed at outdoor gatherings and certain outdoor activities, Gov. Phil Murphy announced at his daily press conference on Friday morning. Gatherings of up to 25 people will now be allowed outdoors, as well as for outdoor recreational businesses like charter and fishing boats, driving ranges, and outdoor batting cages. Murphy added that this does not apply to outdoor dining or graduations. Still, Murphy said the state still social distancing guidelines must be followed, and the wearing of masks is strongly recommended, as people come together. STAY UPDATED WITH BREAKING UPDATES FROM YWN VIA WHATSAPP – SIGN UP NOW Just click on this link, and you will be placed into a group. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Joe Biden defended his legislative record in an often contentious Friday morning interview with Charlamagne The God, the host of the popular radio show “The Breakfast Club,” and argued that his presidential campaign was doing enough to reach out to black voters. At one point, Biden argued that black voters undecided on whether to vote for him or for President Trump “ain’t black.” WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW STAY UPDATED WITH BREAKING UPDATES FROM YWN VIA WHATSAPP – SIGN UP NOW Just click on this link, and you will be placed into a group. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

More than 4,300 recovering coronavirus patients were sent to New York’s already vulnerable nursing homes under a controversial state directive that was ultimately scrapped amid criticisms it was accelerating the nation’s deadliest outbreaks, according to a count by The Associated Press. AP compiled its own tally to find out how many COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals to nursing homes under the March 25 directive after New York’s Health Department declined to release its internal survey conducted two weeks ago. It says it is still verifying data that was incomplete. Whatever the full number, nursing home administrators, residents’ advocates and relatives say it has added up to a big and indefensible problem for facilities that even Gov.

Statement from Yeshiva Darchei Torah, Far Rockaway, NY: Our plans are tentative at this point. Although we operate a program every July known as Oraysa, which is a study-and-recreation program for our own high school and post-high school seminary students, our current plans relate to our seminary students (18+ years old) only. We have conducted extensive discussions with the NYS Department of Health about allowing a group of approximately 100 of our adult students – all of our seminary students are 18 years of age or older – to spend part of June and the month of July in seclusion at our Woodbourne property. The purpose would be to study and pray together for seven days a week on our expansive grounds. All of the students would sleep on the grounds as well.

YWN regrets to inform you of the Petira of Reb Leibel Lederman Z”L ר’ אריה בן ר’ חיים זצ”ל. He was 70 and was Niftar from COVID-19. Born in Germany, after the war his parents emigrated to the U.S. where they settled in Williamsburg, joined the Klausenberg kehilla and formed a close kinship with the previous Klausenberger rebbe, Rav Yekusiel Yehuda Halberstam, zt”l. As a young boy in Yeshivas Chassan Sofer, Reb Leibel’s yiras shamayim, brilliant mind, and kind heart were soon recognized and valued. He forged close ties with the current Sanz-Klausenberger Rebbe in New York, and was a notable benefactor of many of their mosdos & endeavors. Reb Leibel was a walking kiddush hashem.

One person was injured in a partial collapse of a building under construction in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. It happened at around 8:00PM at 376 Flushing Ave near Franklin Ave. Sources tell YWN that the collapse involved freshly poured concrete. Dozens of emergency personnel from the FDNY and NYPD responded. One civilian with moderate injuries has been transported to a local hospital. All other construction workers are accounted for. The NYPD says that Flushing Avenue from Kent Avenue to Franklin Avenue is closed. The Building Department is on the scene investigating. STAY UPDATED WITH BREAKING UPDATES FROM YWN VIA WHATSAPP – SIGN UP NOW Just click on this link, and you will be placed into a group. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Summer school students will not be reporting to the classroom. New York City will deliver 1 million meals a day to fight hunger during the outbreak. State labor officials hit with a flood of unemployment applications say they’re working through the backlog. Coronavirus developments in New York: SUMMER SCHOOL Summer school in New York will be conducted remotely, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday, citing the risks of returning children to the classroom. The governor said it’s too early to make a decision about the fall semester. School buildings in New York have been closed since March. “Schools obviously pose risks. They’re places of gathering. They’re on buses. They’re in classrooms,” Cuomo said at his daily briefing. “How do you reduce density in a classroom?