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THIS WEEK EVERY WEEK ON WHITE PLAINS WEEK
SINCE 2001 A.D.
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WESTCHESTER AVERAGES 333 NEW CASES A DAY SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. ROCKLAND AVERAGING 127 A DAY. Mid-Hudson, Long Island and New York City produce 5,000 new covid cases three consecutive days.
WPCNR COVID SURVEILLANCE. Statistics & Analysis by John F. Bailey. December 9, 2022 4:30 P.M.
The Westchester County new covid case count was 356 Wednesday a total of 1,333 Westchester residents lab-test verified infected Sunday through Wednesday.
Rockland County Sunday Tuesday and Wednesday was covid-tracked with an average 127 cases.
The Center for Disease Control has designated Westchester and Rockland as high risk and advised the county residents to mask indoors.
For the third consecutive day, the 9 counties of the Mid-Hudson Region and Nassau and Suffolk County over 2,000 new persons lab-verified tested for covid while New York City five boroughs was confirmed for 3,203 cases making Wednesday December 7 the third day that the Metropolitan area in New York State suffered over 5,000 new cases (5,568).
Westchester County and the rest of the Mid-Hudson region and Nassau and Suffolk counties are showing new infections at 42% of New York city with 40% less population. The Mid-Hudson Region counties are demonstrating positive infection rates of 8% of those tested, while Nassau and Suffolk Counties are showing positive infection rates consistently just shy of 9%
This is not good.
The sharp rise in new cases made the first 4 days of this week the largest number of infections in the first days of week in 4 weeks, although the infections have popping up higher earlier in each the last four weeks.
This is the strongest growth of new infections happening quicker and in greater numbers right after a weekend in 4 weeks.
At this rate of 333 infections a day in Westchester could bring Westchester a second week of over 2,000 new infections. Previously the county has averaged 1,000 new cases of covid a week for the last 40 weeks back to late March. The week of Thanksgiving November 20 to 26 showed 1,339 cases in a week. Last week cases up a third to 2,102 (300 a day)
The county is approximately 2,000 cases ahead of last November which started the strongest wave of covid the county has had by the last week of December and first two weeks of January.
At 333 cases a day, the county may record 2,331 cases this week through Saturday.
Latest figures on December 7:
Westchester infections, 356 positives of 4,354 tested, 8% INFECTION RATE
ORANGE, IS UP SHARPLY at 216 new covid positives of 2,124 tested, 10.5% INFECTION RATE
ROCKLAND: 165 POSITIVES OF 3,453 TESTED, 3.2% INFECTION RATE
DUTCHESS, 91 new cases in 820 tests, 11.6% INFECTION RATE A REAL SPIKE
ULSTER 37 positives in 582 tests, 7% Infected
Putnam 38 positive of 407 tested, 9% infection rate
Sullivan, 20 positives of 466 tests, 4.3% positive
It should be considered that Nassau and Suffolk are spear-heading the gathering momentum of covid: Nassau reported 626 covid cases of 6,776 tested, 8.7% infection rate.
Suffolk recorded 806 new infections of 7,365 tested, an 8.8% infection rate.
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HOW HE GOT INTO RADIO
HIS LIFE IN BROADCASTING
THE NEWS TODAY
“JOURNALISM TODAY
ON PEOPLE TO BE HEARD’
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Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the unsealing today of an indictment charging RIKESH THAPA with operating a scheme to defraud a start-up technology company (the “Victim Company”) of over $1 million worth of United States currency, cryptocurrency, and utility tokens.
THAPA used proceeds of his crime on personal expenses, including nightclubs, travel, and clothing, and falsified records and deleted evidence to conceal his theft. RIKESH THAPA was arrested earlier today in the Southern District of California. The defendant is expected to be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mitchell D. Dembin this afternoon. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Rikesh Thapa allegedly betrayed his company’s trust, as he was responsible for the safeguarding of substantial amounts of money. Thapa went to great lengths to cover up his frauds, but, thanks to the dedicated work of this Office and our law enforcement partners, he will now have to answer for his crimes.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Michael J. Driscoll said: “As we allege today, the defendant repeatedly stole from and defrauded the victim company – which he cofounded – in order to fund a luxurious personal lifestyle. In an attempt to hide his crimes, he also deleted and falsified records. The FBI will continue to work to ensure individuals willing to scam and steal from private businesses are held accountable in the criminal justice system.”
As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:[1]
RIKESH THAPA co-founded and was the Chief Technology Officer (“CTO”) of the Victim Company, which during the relevant period was involved in using blockchain and other technology to provide a ticketing platform for live events. Between December 2017 and September 2019, THAPA used his position to carry out a scheme to defraud the Victim Company.
In 2018, the Victim Company sought to diversify its banking because of its understanding that certain financial institutions were reluctant to maintain relationships with companies, such as the Victim Company, involved in cryptocurrency transactions.
In furtherance of that effort, THAPA agreed to receive and hold $1 million of the Victim Company’s money in his personal bank account (the “THAPA Account”) while the Victim Company explored banking options.
Soon after receiving the $1 million, however, THAPA began using the funds on personal expenses. Nevertheless, THAPA repeatedly acknowledged what was supposed to be the temporary nature of his possession of the funds, representing to a colleague, in substance and in part, that the money was “a stationary 1 mil in my account” that was held “for safe keeping.”
THAPA then falsified records to conceal his theft, providing the Victim Company with a forged bank statement, which falsely represented that THAPA held over $21 million, approximately $1 million of which was held in a particular savings account (the “Purported Account”).
In fact, THAPA did not have the Purported Account and held much less than $21 million at the relevant bank. In 2019, THAPA refused to return the $1 million, which he spent on, among other things, nightclubs, travel, and clothing.
In addition, between December 2017 and September 2019, THAPA used his control over the Victim Company’s cryptocurrency holdings to embezzle at least 10 Bitcoin from the Victim Company.
For example, in August 2018, THAPA diverted at least one of the Victim Company’s Bitcoin for his own benefit, selling the Bitcoin for approximately $6,500 and depositing the proceeds into the THAPA Account (the “August 2018 Bitcoin Transaction”). To avoid detection, THAPA falsified trading records and deleted emails.
In July 2019, THAPA sent the Victim Company’s CEO a fraudulent transaction report that misrepresented the August 2018 Bitcoin Transaction. After the CEO, copying THAPA, thereafter requested and received a transaction report directly from the Victim Company’s cryptocurrency brokerage, THAPA disabled the CEO’s email account at the Victim Company (the “CEO Email Account”), deleted the cryptocurrency brokerage’s email from the CEO Email Account, and then deleted the entire CEO Email Account.
In yet another facet of the scheme, THAPA stole the Victim Company’s utility tokens. Such tokens are a type of cryptocurrency that can be used to access particular services, products, or features.
In July 2019, unbeknownst to the Victim Company’s CEO, THAPA set up a meeting in Italy between THAPA and individuals who claimed to be interested in purchasing the Victim Company’s utility tokens. Before the meeting, THAPA provided account information for the THAPA Account so that the purported investors could wire him funds.
During the meeting, however, THAPA agreed to receive cash in exchange for utility tokens. After the meeting, THAPA transferred, without authorization, approximately 174,285 of the Victim’s utility tokens to the purported investors. THAPA later determined that the cash he had received from the purported investors was counterfeit.
* * *
RIKESH THAPA, 28, of San Diego, California, is charged with one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
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WPCNR COVID SURVEILLANCE. DATA FROM NY STATE COVID TRACKER. Observation and Analysis by John F. Bailey December 8, 2022:
The Center for Disease Control today called for a return to wearing masks in the City of New York, Nassau and Suffolk Counties due
THE THANKSGIVING COVID SURGE IS ON AS PREDICTED. WESTCHESTER, ORANGE, ROCKLAND, DUTCHESS, ULSTER PUTNAM SULLIVAN, NASSAU AND SUFFOLK COUNTIES AND THE 5 BOROUGHS OF NEW YORK CITH REPORTE 5,258 NEW PERSONS WITH COVID MONDAY.
WESTCHESTER POSTED 379 NEW COVID CASES MONDAY.THE FIRST TIME WESTCHESTER HAS PUSHED THE 400 NEW CASES ON ONE DAY SINCE DEC 7, 2021 WHEN THE COUNTY POSTED 366 AND DEC. 8, 2021 WHEN WE HAD 441. THE TUES CASE COUNT IS NOT IN YET FROM NEW YORK STATE.
THE TREND OF MORE INFECTIONS FASTER AFTER WEEKENDS CONTINUES. WESTCHESTER FRIENDS WE ARE INFECTING EACH OTHER AT THE RATE OF 300 PERSONS A DAY WHICH WILL PUSH WESTCHESTER OVER 2,000 INFECTIONS FOR THE SECOND STRAIGHT WEEK, MARKING 40 WEEKS OF OVER 1,000 CASES A WEEK.
DR. KATELYN JETELINA, WHO WRITES YOUR LOCAL EPIDEMIOLOGIST NEWS LETTER WEEK IS VERY CONCERNED. COVID, RSV AND FLU ARE INFECTING AT THE HIGHEST RATE AT THIS TIME OF YEAR EVER SHE WRITES
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WPCNR FBI WIRE. From the Federal Bureau of Investigation.December 7, 2022:
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that FRANK OKUNAK, the former chief financial officer of one of the world’s leading global public relations firms, was sentenced today to 52 months in prison by U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel.
OKUNAK pled guilty on July 27, 2022, to one count of wire fraud and one count of falsification of the books and records of a public corporation, in connection with a decade-long scheme to embezzle over $16 million from his employer.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams stated: “Frank Okunak conducted a nearly decade-long conspiracy to embezzle millions of dollars from his employer and the public shareholders of his employer. Today’s sentence should serve as a warning to executives that if they use their company’s money as if it were their own, they will face lengthy prison time.”
According to the allegations in the Information, statements made in court, and court filings:
For nearly a decade, FRANK OKUNAK, who was the chief financial officer and later chief operating officer of a leading global public relations firm (the “PR Firm”), embezzled over $16 million from the PR Firm and, ultimately, the shareholders of the PR Firm’s publicly traded parent corporation.
OKUNAK used the embezzled funds to finance his personal lifestyle and his own private business ventures.
OKUNAK concealed and facilitated his theft by preparing and causing others to prepare materially false accounting books and records, including invoices and payment records that falsely described expenditures as having been undertaken for the benefit of the PR Firm, when funds were actually used for OKUNAK’s personal benefit or for the benefit of his personal business associates.
Specifically, from 2011 through 2020, OKUNAK used his authority as an officer of the PR Firm to cause the PR Firm to make unauthorized payments for OKUNAK’s personal and business ventures unrelated to the activities of the PR Firm or its corporate parents.
OKUNAK used the PR Firm’s assets to provide the start-up capital for his personal, independent business ventures, to purchase tickets and luxury boxes at sporting events, and even to cover donations to his alma mater.
To hide the illicit nature of these expenditures, OKUNAK frequently prepared or caused others to prepare false or misleading invoices and other documentation to suggest, falsely, that the funds were used for legitimate corporate purposes.
* * *
In addition to his prison sentence, OKUNAK, 56, of Lyndhurst, New Jersey, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. As part of his guilty plea, OKUNAK also agreed to forfeit $10,823,575.57 and to pay restitution of $16,043,603.71.
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The dreaded and much anticipated triple-demic is finally here—for the first time RSV, flu, and COVID-19 are rising together. And it’s not looking pretty. Here is the current state of affairs.
Last Friday Twitter covered my reaction to the latest data pretty clearly: Holy crap. There are a lot of sick people in the United States right now.
(Source: CDC)
This level is truly unprecedented; we’ve never seen such high levels of ILI activity at this time of year. The map above is typically green (see below for this time in previous years). In fact, notice that before 2019, we didn’t even have the dark red/purple colors.
ILI Map by Year (Source: CDC) Note: You will notice that 2020-2021 are very green (although COVID-19 was high). There are many epidemiological reasons for this, including people avoiding doctors offices at the time.
Yesterday, the CDC Director said: “hospitalizations are the highest now than they have been in the past decade.” This is truly concerning given a backdrop of burnt out healthcare workers and low staff levels.
While ILI surveillance gives us a picture of symptoms overall, we do have some (imperfect) surveillance for specific diseases.
RSV continues to rise. We may be seeing the first signs of peaking on a national level (bottom right graph). This is expected given that test positivity rates have already clearly peaked (bottom left graph). There are certainly regional differences, as the South has clearly peaked (at least so far—Thanksgiving activity may change this) and West hasn’t slowed down yet.
U.S. RSV positivity rates and cases (Source: CDC)
Flu cases are increasing and increasing fast. Flu hospitalizations are lagged (much like COVID-19) but increasing. Flu season outbreaks typically start in schools (hitting healthy children). Then the virus takes time to get to older adults. We expect hospitalizations to continue to rise in weeks to come.
In Canada, hospitalizations by age are clearly tracked. The highest risk for hospitalization is in those under 4 years old and those over 65 years. This likely reflects U.S. patterns, too.
Influenza related hospitalizations in Canada, by age group. Source here.
As Inside Medicine reported, for the first time during the pandemic, flu hospitalizations overtook COVID-19 hospitalizations last week. This may be a one-off occurrence since COVID-19 hospitalizations are increasing now, too, but it is noteworthy.
Image: Benjy Renton for Inside Medicine. Source here.
We don’t know if this will be the “worst flu season we’ve ever seen.” The Southern Hemisphere (Australia specifically) had a high number of flu cases but moderate levels of hospitalizations. Epidemiologists are crossing our fingers that this is what the Northern Hemisphere will see, too.
COVID-19 is on the rise across the globe due to the combination of seasonal changes, behaviors changes, and the variant soup. In the U.S., all signs point to the beginning of a wave. For example, SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater is rapidly increasing across all regions.
SARS-CoV-2 National Wastewater Trends, over time. Dark blue= wastewater; Light blue/green= Reported cases (Source: Biobot Analytics)
One major concern is the rapid rise in hospitalizations among older adults, which has exponentially increased 28% in the past two weeks. In many states, like California, the rate of hospitalizations is higher than the BA.5 wave, BA.2 wave, and/or Delta wave.
New Hospital Admissions, over time (CDC)
This is partly (or wholly) due to abysmal vaccination rates—only 1 in 3 adults over the age of 65+ have their fall COVID-19 booster. A public health failure. Without a recent booster, many people are technically vaccinated but not protected. I appreciated a recent U.K. public health campaign displaying the best messaging I’ve seen thus far.
(Source: Sean Kennedy)
Thanksgiving was 1.5 weeks ago, and because of it, many social networks expanded, providing new opportunities for viruses to spread. For COVID-19, it takes about ~2 weeks to see the epidemiological impact of holidays. The recent COVID-19 uptick may be partially explained by a “Thanksgiving effect,” although we are seeing an uptick in other countries that don’t celebrate Thanksgiving.
I expect Thanksgiving will springboard us into more RSV and flu, too, but this surveillance is delayed.
This viral season is like no other. I’m running out of adjectives to describe it. (Unprecedented. Worrisome. A pain. Exhausting.)
Unfortunately, we don’t know how long this will last or how bad it will get. I’m especially concerned for hospital systems, kids under 5, and adults over the age of 65, as they are at highest risk.
There’s a lot we can do: mask, test before seeing loved ones, get that airflow moving, stay home when you’re sick.
The least you can do for a healthy season is get a flu and fall COVID-19 booster. If you haven’t gotten one yet, it’s never too late.
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Posted on 2 by John Bailey
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Out of the Sun
The Arizona engulfed, December 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor
Out of the sun they came
Birds of death blazened with red suns raining fiery havoc on Battleship Row.
One by one, ruthless planes dove, destroyed to their nation’s shame.
Thunderous explosions scattered fiery death on Sunday dawn’s glow.
Flames belched from hull of stricken Arizona, America’s pride,
Hicham Field pilots raced to planes to defend
Their birds crippled on ground by Zeros’ glide
Gunners in turrets on ships floundering filled skies with flack’s din.
In search of carriers, marauders could not find
Ruthlessly strafed and bombed leaving Pearl
In smoking ruin. Ships sunk, burning as raiders flew back into dawn’s Sun
The day of infamy had been ignited in the Zeros’ swirl.
The Attack Begins 8 AM December 7, 1941
As America listened a world away, somber FDR
Spoke of this day that will live in infamy.
America must never forget its Pearl Harbor Scar
When an unsuspecting America slept in complacency.
To the 2,403 perishing that day under merciless bombs
Hails of bullets, terror of torpedos out of nowhere
America must remember forces against our freedoms
Relentlessly work always to surprise with deadly bombs’ glare.
Vigilence is the price of freedom always to be defended
By dark forces in far off places we have offended.
Against those who would destroy our republic from within
The answer is not curtailing freedom at home rather it to champion.
The USS Arizona lies in Pearl’s waters, bleeding the lives
Of her men through the eerie eternal slick marking the rusting hulk.
Beneath Pearl’s waters, the blood of free people oozes from the shadowy bulk,
Bleeding forever, freedom’s spirit living forever in lost lives remembered.
She never rests.
Note: The Pearl Harbor attack started 81 years ago today 2 PM Eastern Standard Time. The aftermath is dramatically depicted at http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/wwii-pac/pearlhbr/pearlhbr.htm
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PLANNING BOARD MEETING
Farrell Estates at Ridgeway
The Planning Board Work Session tonight is canceled. The application for subdivision of the former Ridgeway Country Club property will be discussed at the regularly scheduled meeting of the Planning Board on December 20, 2022.
Planning Board Meeting for Farrell Estates at Ridgeway
Date: December 20, 2022
Time: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Address:
White Plains City Hall
255 Main Street- Common Council Chamber
White Plains, NY 10601
Contact: Planning Department 914.422.1300
For questions/comments regarding the proposed Farrell subdivision, please email Eileen McClain, Planning Board Secretary, at emcclain@whiteplainsny.gov – emails will be forwarded to all Planning Board members. Please note that your questions/comments will not be part of the official record for the subdivision. Only comments submitted during the public comment period become part of the official record.
You can also mail your questions/comments to:
WP Planning Board
City Hall, 255 Main Street
White Plains, NY 10601
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WPCNR COUNTY-CLARION LEDGER. From the Westchester County Board of Legislators. December 6, 2022:
On Monday night, Chairwoman Catherine Borgia and the Board of Legislators announced proposed additions to the County’s FY2023 capital and operating budgets. Included in the $2.2 billion budget proposal are critical investments in areas such as childcare, mental health, and criminal justice reform.
Legislators are mandated by the County Charter to review and approve the proposed budgets submitted by the County Executive’s office no later than December 27. Before final approval, Legislators are allowed to suggest additions to the allocations by the first Monday in December, colloquially called “Adds Day”. No new items can be added to the budget after this point. Before final adoption, the Board’s Committee on Budget & Appropriations, chaired by Legislator Vedat Gashi can further review the joint proposal but only to delete items from the appropriations list.
Most notably incorporated in the BOL’s budget proposal additions are:
· Reopening of two mental health clinics previously closed by the former County Executive
· A reduction from 10% to 5% for parent share contributions for families eligible for subsidized childcare
· $500,000 for neighborhood community health centers in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds
· $750,000 in in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for Westchester Connects, a partnership with Westchester County Association to increase internet access to residents
· Funding to establish the Office of Police Accountability (OPA)
· Increases to community-based organizations to help fund services
· $350,000 of additional smoking-cessation funding for education and outreach, and to increase coordination with NYS smoking cessation programs.
The BOL weighed public recommendations on which items to add to the Executive’s proposal through a series of mini-public hearings, with a Charter-mandated public hearing at the Board’s Chamber scheduled for Wednesday, December 7, 2022. After hearing feedback from the public, the Board has firmly committed to working toward the following items for future budgetary consideration:
· Reducing Bee-Line Paratransit fees
· Zero Waste initiatives
· Access to Counsel, a legal services program for tenants fighting eviction
Chairwoman Catherine Borgia stated, “We know that for our communities to thrive, we need more funding for health care, mental health, and social services. We know that a strong investment in early education and childcare are building blocks to a great future for both children and parents. We’re prioritizing items that will set the County on a course toward equity, stability, and prosperity.” She continued, “I thank County Executive George Latimer for his collaborative leadership in developing a robust budget centered around shared values and principles.”