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JULY 2 5:30 P.M.—HUDSON RIVER BEACHES OPENED.
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HUDSON RIVER BEACHES CLEARED TO OPEN
(Westchester, NY) – Croton Point Park and Philips Manor Beach have been cleared to open by the Westchester County Health Department.
The beaches had been ordered closed last week due to elevated bacteria levels. The beach samples collected exceeded the maximum level of enterococcus bacteria as outlined by the sanitary code.
After an additional test Monday, July 1 the samples met the required safety standards. The beaches are cleared to open immediately. Croton Point Park will be open for swimming tomorrow.
Residents and visitors are encouraged to visit the Westchester County website for the latest updates on beach closures and reopening schedules. The County remains committed to maintaining high standards of environmental health and safety across its recreational facilities.
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ANDREW CUOMO TO THE RESCUE
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OUR NATION TURNS ITS HOPE TO THEE.
WPCNR NEWS & COMMENT. By John F. Bailey. June 29, 2024:
He saved America once.
We need him to save us once again.
Will we turn to him?
When we need him more than America as ever needed a hero against the odds?
The toughest most intelligent politician of our age
He is Andrew Cuomo.
Americans believed him.
I believed him.
He did not deliver rhetoric in the covid epidemic.
He was tough.
He demanded things that no one liked.
He was on the air everyday telling us the facts of what was happening.
He got people to believe in staying home, something his enemies and thousands of leaders did not want.
He stuck by his reason, his instincts.
His solutions worked.
They got results.
It is so rare politicians get results.
Andrew Cuomo got them he stopped covid spread in 6 months
He stepped in where politicians feared to tread, afraid of public criticism.
He saved millions of New Yorkers and across the nation with his actions.
He was second-guessed and gaslighted by irresponsible caregivers who spread the disease by ignoring his policies.
He was hated by New York Democrats for his power and intelligence when they showed none.
As with any enemy of the people (Henrik Ibsen’s play about a scientist who exposed water problems and was dubbed Enemy of the People” who was vilified by authorities).
By putting his instincts and willingness to lead when someone had to lead (and it was not the President of the country at that time who lead, it was not the CDC, it was not the politicians who never visited the morgues.
It was Andrew Cuomo who gave his political career away , did unpopular things, the lockdowns.
He went on television across the country with his team gave scientists time to get us a vaccine to stop covid spread by stopping the spread at the time there was no vaccine.
The nation listened to him.
Watched him.
In tight, powerful daily half hour to 45 minute bulletins fact-heavy packed with easy-to-understand graphics, experts talked reality on the ground, explained to a panicked state and America at large how to hold down the deadly covid virus at bay and how not to get it.
He did that.
He did the single biggest national public service rescue with the force of his personality and Melissa De Rosa, his heroine Secretary to the Governor and his Health Commissioner since FDR.
Americans never missed a briefing of his.
I didn’t.
He is easily the best leader I have ever seen in this state SINCE GOVERNOR PATAKI
We need Mr. Cuomo again.
Now.
Will he come back to fight the new covid virus of darkness, “The Trumpid Variant”?
The Trumpid Variant of covid is infecting Americans’ minds with hate, oppression of the innocent, “Herods to be,” symptoms being suppression of freedom infecting our citizens with Trumpid Variant behaviors infecting Americans with nationalistic world-threatening folly and false sense of reality, and inability to see the policies of the Trumpid Variant are threatening the greatest country in the world survival.
As with any “enemy of the people”, Andrew Cuomo paid for his heroic covid-stopping policies politically. He was framed by his own party with charges of sexual harassment by his own attorney general, they took away his emergency powers. They trumped up sexual harassment charges. He was forced to resign. He was kangarooed out of Albany.
Since then, the same legislature continues their lack of leadership in this state to deal with the state’s problems, fight the new Governor Kathy Hochul’s solutions.
To this date no court case has found Mr. Cuomo guilty of anything. His accusers have not followed through.
But he is available now when the country needs him more than they have ever needed someone smart, tough, and rational before.
Now he, in my opinion is the only hope if the Democratic Party hopes to stop the virus of darkness: The Trumpid Variant,” infecting Americans believing in things I never thought I’d see my countrymen and women support.
The tragic performance of President Joe Biden in the mockery of the debate Thursday night is reminiscent of the aged German Chancellor in 1933, when the fickle Reichstag with a collaboration of conspiring members angled to have Hitler appointed with Hitler agreeing to appoint them chancellor and aids. Hitler got rid of them after he was made chancellor.
Von Hindenberg washed his hands and resigned. Hitler was appointed. The conspirators not appointed and Hitler took over. The book Takeover chronicles this explicitly.
There is no one the democratic party can replace Biden with, should Mr. Biden resign, who has the national following Andrew Cuomo did and does.
He is not a New Yorker, he’s the last American Hero. He guided us through covid across the nation straight through to morning in America in 2022,
Andrew Cuomo, our nation turns its worried eyes to you.
YOUR LOCAL EPIDEMIOLOGIST: YES, GUN VIOLENCE IS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE
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Earlier this week, the U.S. Surgeon General declared gun violence a public health crisis. Many narratives immediately pushed back that this isn’t public health’s lane.
Let me say this loud and clear: Gun violence is absolutely in the purview of public health. And until society accepts it as such, we will continue to lose tens of thousands of Americans annually, leaving behind massive ripples in the community. Thankfully, momentum is changing.
What is public health? It’s broader than you might think.
Public health—also called population health—came into the limelight with Covid-19, but it’s much broader than a pandemic or infectious diseases. It is the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities.
Public health is everywhere—think seatbelts, non-smoking areas, vaccines, airbags, clean drinking water, cleaner indoor air, food security, and cancer prevention. Experts are in health departments, nonprofits, government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector. That’s because public health is most effective when combining science, education, policy, advocacy, and innovation.
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Figure from Yale School of Public Health
Violence is predictable and thus preventable.
Epidemiology—one subset of public health—is charged with finding patterns: Who is impacted? What predicts certain health outcomes? Because if it’s predictable, it’s preventable.
Violence epidemiology was born out of a case study a few decades ago, which showed that clusters of cholera in Bangladesh mirrored clusters of gun violence in Chicago.
This meant gun violence wasn’t random; certain factors predispose a person or community. The field has grown to study suicide, child abuse, domestic violence, and, yes, gun violence.
Gun violence patterns are becoming clearer.
Gun violence patterns—who are being impacted, where, and why—have slowly emerged, providing hints about tangible and effective public health solutions. For example:
- Firearm injuries are the leading cause of death in children. It surpassed motor vehicle crashes in 2020 for the first time.
- 2 out of 5 homes have at least one firearm
- 4.6 million kids live with unlocked, loaded guns
- 1 in 3 youth suicides and unintentional deaths can be prevented by securing guns
- 8 out of 10 children that used a firearm say it belonged to a family member.
These patterns suggest safe storage and education for parents, for example, could (and are) move the needle.
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Deaths per 100,000 in Children and Adolescents, United States. Figure from New England Journal of Medicine; Annotated by YLE
- Suicides account for most gun deaths, followed by homicides. This is why some states have passed bipartisan legislation, like red flag laws, to temporarily remove firearms from people who have been deemed a threat to themselves. It’s estimated one suicide is prevented for every 10–20 red flag orders issued.
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- Cause and risk are not uniform. Gun injuries and deaths differ by race/ethnicity, physical location, age, and many other factors. This suggests who and how we engage with matters to make an impact.
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Firearm deaths by intent and location among children and youth. Figure created by YLE using data from CDC.
- There are ripple effects. A single neighborhood murder can impact as many as 200 people in a community. Randomized control studies have shown that community-level interventions, like replacing vacant spaces with green spaces, break cycles of violence.
Finding answers has been a slow crawl.
Although we’ve found some patterns, we’ve only scraped the surface. Progress has been plagued by an unfortunate series of events.
Rewind to 1993.
A famous study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that having a gun in the home increased the risk of homicide in the home. This set off a political domino effect, and three years later, Congress inserted the Dickey Amendment into the CDC spending bill.
The provision stated, “None of the funds made available for injury prevention and control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) may be used to advocate or promote gun control.” The problem with this, though, is that the language was unclear. The epidemiologist of the 1993 study famously said,
“Precisely what was or was not permitted under the clause was unclear. However, no federal employee was willing to risk his or her career or the agency’s funding to find out. Extramural support for firearm injury prevention research quickly dried up.”
This set gun violence research back decades, as it was completely reliant on nonprofits and philanthropy support. This is helpful but not enough to match the scope of the problem.
But, momentum is shifting.
We see this from several angles:
- Engagement from the bottom up. A plethora of public health experts have newly partnered with groups directly impacted by gun violence. For example, working with gun owners and gun ranges to curb suicide or communities (see Cure Violence) to build solutions.
- Funding for research. In 2020 —for the first time in 25 years—our federal budget included $25 million for the CDC and NIH to research reducing gun-related deaths and injuries. This is a start, but to be clear, it’s estimated that we need $1.4 billion to curb this epidemic. (For context, NIH gets $6.56 billion allocated for cancer research.)
- State and federal initiatives. For example, the Office for Violence Prevention was established in 2023 to focus on key legislative actions. You may be surprised to hear that many policies have bipartisan support. Earlier this month, the office hosted 160 hospital executives and leaders to discuss the importance of using health system data to better understand patterns.
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Bottom line
Gun violence is absolutely in the public health lane. This is what we do. We’ve been able to do unimaginable things and save millions of lives by approaching problems with a public health lens, like cigarettes and motor vehicle crashes. Public health can help reduce gun violence in the U.S., and we will. But only at the speed at which society recognizes and supports it.
Love, YLE
“Your Local Epidemiologist (YLE)” is written by Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, MPH PhD—an epidemiologist, wife. During the day, she is a senior scientific consultant to a number of organizations, including CDC. At night, she writes this newsletter. Her main goal is to “translate” the ever-evolving public health science so that people will be well-equipped to make evidence-based decisions. This newsletter is free, thanks to the generous support of fellow YLE community members. To support this effort, subscribe below:
JUNE 29 2:30 A.M. –FLASH! HUDSON RIVER BEACHES CLOSED. ELEVATED BACTERIA LEVELS CROTON POINT PARK, PHILIPS MANOR BEACH OFF LIMITS
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**PUBLIC ADVISORY** Closure of Hudson River beaches due to elevated bacteria levels continues. After a second round of testing that came back positive for enterococcus bacteria, the Westchester County Department of Health has closed Croton Point Park Beach and Philips Manor Beach through the weekend. The beach samples collected exceeded the maximum level of enterococcus bacteria as outlined by the sanitary code. Both beaches are temporarily closed. A third test will be performed on Monday, July 1. If these subsequent samples meet the required safety standards, the beaches will be reopened at that time. If the enterococcus bacteria level remains high, the beaches will remain closed and will undergo further testing. Residents and visitors are encouraged to visit the Westchester County website for the latest updates on beach closures and reopening schedules. The County remains committed to maintaining high standards of environmental health and safety across its recreational facilities.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: ) Enterococcus faecalis is a species of bacteria that is naturally found in the intestines. While it tends to be harmless in that environment, it has the potential to cause a serious infection if it spreads to other areas of the body. Enterococci are a type of bacteria that live in your gastrointestinal (GI) tract. There are at least 18 different species of these bacteria. Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) is one of the most common species. These bacteria also live in the mouth and vagina. They’re very resilient, so they can survive in hot, salty, or acidic environments. E. faecalis normally lives harmlessly in your intestines. However, if it spreads to other parts of your body, it can cause a more serious infection. The bacteria can get into your blood, urine, or a wound during surgery. From there, it can spread to different sites, causing more serious infections, including sepsis, endocarditis, and meningitis. E. faecalis bacteria don’t usually cause problems in healthy people. But people with underlying health conditions or a weakened immune system are more likely to get sick. These infections often spread in hospitals. In recent years, there’s been an increase in drug-resistant E. faecalis strains. Today, many antibiotics don’t work against infections caused by these bacteria. (From Healthline) **AVISO PÚBLICO** El cierre de las playas del río Hudson debido a niveles elevados de bacterias continúa. Después de una segunda ronda de pruebas que resultaron positivas para la bacteria enterococo, el Departamento de Salud del Condado de Westchester ha cerrado las playas de Croton Point Park y Philips Manor durante el fin de semana. Las muestras de agua de las playas superaron el nivel máximo de bacterias enterococo según lo estipulado por el código sanitario. Ambas playas están cerradas temporalmente. Se realizará una tercera prueba el lunes 1 de Julio. Si estas muestras posteriores cumplen con los estándares de seguridad requeridos, las playas serán reabiertas en ese momento. Si el nivel de bacterias enterococo sigue siendo alto, las playas permanecerán cerradas y se someterán a más pruebas. Se recomienda a los residentes y visitantes que visiten el sitio web del Condado de Westchester para obtener las últimas actualizaciones sobre el cierre y reapertura de playas. El Condado sigue comprometido con el mantenimiento de altos estándares de salud y seguridad ambiental en todas sus instalaciones recreativas. |
WHITE PLAINS WEEK THIS MORNING AT 8:30 A.M. EDT–THE PRIMARY ELECTION REPORT FROM JOHN BAILEY AND THE NEWS. CH 45 FIOS COUNTYWIDE. WHITE PLAINS OPTIMUM CH. 76 AND www.wocommunitymedia.org
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GEORGE LATIMER– ELECTED THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE FOR THE 16TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.
MERIAM LEVITT-FLISSER REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR THE 16TH SEAT.
CITY TAKES UP RENEWING WESTCHESTER POWER AGREEMENT MONDAY EVENING. HIGHER CON ED RATES AHEAD.
NOAM BRAMSON HEAD OF WESTCHESTER POWER MAKES THE CHOICES CLEAR PROMISES LOWER NEGOTIATED RATE.
SUSAN CACASE IN VICTORY. WINS WESTCHESTER COUNTY DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION FOR DISTRICT ATTORNEY
FIREWORKS WHITE PLAINS HIGH SCHOOL. JULY 2. NO RAIN DATE 6 PM TO 10 PM. FOOD AMUSMENTS ENTERTAINMENT
PLUS KEN JENKINS INTRODUCES GEORGE LATIMER AFTER PRIMARY WIN
GEORGE LATIMER’S VICTORY SPEECH.
AND MORE
BEHIND THE ANCHOR DESK FOR 24 YEARS
JOHN BAILEY AND THE NEWS
THIS WEEK EVERY WEEK
ON WHITE PLAINS WEEK
TONIGHT AT 7 P.M. EDT: “INSIDE WILLIE MAYS” FROM THE POLO GROUNDS ON PEOPLE TO BE HEARD FIOS CH 45 & OPTIMUM 76 BULL ALLEN INTERVIEWS GIANT FAN LARRY SHAPIRO “THE DUTCHMAN” ON THE SAY HEY KID AND BULL ALLEN’S 2024 MID SEASON BASEBALL AND THE RULES
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INSIDE THE CATCH!
BASEBALL AT MIDSEASON.
YANKEES STARTING PITCHING COLLAPSES. BULLPEN WORN OUT. IT’S DEJA VIEW ALL OVER AGAIN.
THE METS BATS GET THEM BACK IN THE HUNT.
A LIFE LONG GIANTS FAN REMEMBERS WILLIE AND WHAT MADE HIM THE BEST.
TWO FANS THE LEGENDARY BULL ALLEN AND THE DUTCHMAN ON THE NEW RULES EFFECTS ON
“THE GAME”
JUNE 27– WHITE PLAINS FIREWORKS AT HIGH SCHOOL JULY 2, TUESDAY, NO RAIN DATE. FIELDS UNDER CONSTRUCTION NOT AVAILABLE FOR SEATING
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CITY OF WHITE PLAINS INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION
FOOD, FUN & FIREWORKS – JULY 2 (NO RAIN DATE)
White Plains, NY – June 27, 2024. The City of White Plains will host its Annual Independence
Day Celebration on Tuesday, July 2 from 6:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m. The free event will be held at
White Plains High School on North Street.
This year’s celebration will feature a wide variety of entertainment including a performance by
the Stolen Moments Entertainment on the main stage at 7:30 p.m. Children and their families
will also enjoy a visit from the Animal Embassy, the Miz Liz Variety Show and face painting. A
variety of food concessions will be available. The White Plains Independence Day Celebration
would not be complete without fireworks. The show presented by Special FX Wizard Inc. will
begin at approximately 9:15 p.m.
White Plains 2024 Independence Day Celebration is sponsored by New York – Presbyterian
Westchester Behavioral Health Center. Residents are encouraged to come early, bring blankets
and chairs and enjoy a fun-filled evening of music, entertainers, food and fireworks. There is no
rain date for this event. For additional information, please call 914.422.1336.
IMPORTANT MESSAGE- NEW THIS YEAR
Please note that due to construction at White Plains High School several seating and parking
areas that were previously used during the event will be off-limits this year. Additionally, Bryant
Avenue will be closed intermittently to vehicular traffic. It is recommended that visitors arrive
early and use the parking areas at the YWCA White Plains and Central Westchester at 515 North
Street and 707/709 Westchester Avenue.
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TRUMP NEARING DECISION ON VP 2024 RUNNING MATE
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WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2024. News & Comment by Professor Stephen J. Rolandi. June 26, 2024:
“Donald Trump has no shortage of prospective VP running mates to choose from with the GOP Convention just weeks away. The former President’s process for selecting a nominee for the second highest office in the land resembles more of the casting calls from The Apprentice TV show than a more deliberate process.
Mr. Trump’s criteria are: someone who looks the part of a VP; can raise substantial amounts of money for his campaign;and is 100% loyal to the former President. A number of US Senators such as Marco Rubio and J. D. Vance are contenders, as well as North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum.
Rubio’s selection would pose residency problems and a conflict with the 12th Amendment (Florida electors cannot vote for two residents from the same state).
I do not see Trump selecting a sitting Senator, as I believe a sitting senator who is the VP nominee may not be able to vote for himself/herself in a contingent election in January 2025 if no wins a majority in the Electoral College.
Bottom line:
Donald Trump selects Governor Burgum as his VP choice, as he checks just all the boxes.
There could be a surprise choice such as former Speaker Kevin McCarthy or former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, but my money is on Burgum, who is also well-regarded in the battleground Mid-West.”
(Stephen Rolandi is an adjunct professor of public administration at Pace University and John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY and a former Deputy Commissioner in the administrations of NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg and NYS Governors David Paterson and Andrew M. Cuomo).