Curtis Sliwa donned a wetsuit and his trademark Guardian Angels red beret and strode into the water at Coney Island Sunday in defiance of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s no-swimming order. A crowd cheered Sliwa on as several city Parks Department officers tried to order the Guardian Angels founder and New York mayoral candidate out of the surf. Sliwa ignored the orders and swam around for about an hour. Before he dove in, Sliwa stuck a cardboard cutout of de Blasio’s face on the beach and kicked sand on it. “The whole concept is, this is our beach, not de Blasio’s,” Sliwa told the New York Post. “Everybody else gets to swim in Long Island, Jersey Shore, Mediterranean. Not us?

As YWN reported on Sunday morning, hundreds of stores and small-businesses opened their doors on Sunday in defiance of the executive order. As was expected, the NYC Sheriff Department visited multiple stores in Williamsburg and Boro Park to issue summonses and order the closure of the stores. In Williamsburg and Boro Park crowds gathered to protest the closure of stores on Wallabout Street and on 13th Avenue. In Boro Park the scene turned ugly with people screaming at the Deputies, and passersby encouraging the protesters to hold their ground and not disperse. Naturally, social media exploded with viral videos and many are claiming that the city is targeting the Jewish neighborhoods.

The daily coronavirus death toll was slightly above 100 in New York state but the trend continues down, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Sunday. On Saturday, 109 people died across the state from COVID-19, the Democrat said during his daily press conference. There were 84 deaths on Friday. The number of daily deaths at about 100 over the past week represents a significant drop from the peak in early April when the number seemed more likely to hit 1,000 than fall below 100. It peaked at 799 deaths on April 8. Cuomo said the state was now “decidedly in the reopening phase.” And he noted that the state’s curve was going down even as many places in the country were rising in deaths.

As the summer is fast approaching, New York State Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein says it is time to have an honest and candid discussion about opening sleepaway summer camps. In the larger context of the COVID-19 pandemic, reopening the state will be a slow and deliberate process, with the health and safety of all New Yorkers the primary consideration. With the proper guidelines and protocols, Assemblyman Eichenstein says that sleepaway camp can potentially be a safe option for our children this summer. Assemblyman Eichenstein points out that sleepaway camps are unique in that they potentially are able to create a locked down and highly controlled environment.

A movement of NY small businesses fighting for survival has grown into a pack of thousands of supporters and hundreds of businesses. Now, the group is planning to fight the system head on. Beginning on Sunday morning, around 200 stores plan on opening in Boro Park, Williamsburg, Flatbush, Monsey and the Five Towns. Many will be opened on Sunday, and others to start on Monday. They will use extreme social distancing, some just curbside service, while others allowing one person at a time into their establishments. The are banded together under the name #ReopenNY Organizers tell YWN that NY Governor Cuomo and NYC Mayor Deblasio are aware of the movement. The group has lawyers & is well prepared for legal action, including visits by the police.

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)