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SEPTEMBER 18–PALESTINIAN FAMILY HARASSED IN YONKERS. COUNTY EXECUTIVE JENKINS DEFENDS THEM
WESTCHESTER COUNTY EXECUTIVE KEN JENKINS STANDS WITH PALESTINIAN AMERICAN FAMILY TARGETED IN YONKERS
“Harassing, intimidating or threatening your neighbors because you object to them peacefully displaying support for their Palestinian heritage is unacceptable. There is no place for that kind of behavior in Westchester County. All Americans, regardless of their heritage or background, have the right to free speech.
Just as we must stand against racism, antisemitism and hatred directed toward any community, we must also stand against hatred and discrimination directed toward Palestinians.
Palestinian Americans and Palestinian families who call Westchester home are part of the fabric of our County.
They are our neighbors, friends, colleagues and community members, and they deserve the same dignity, respect and sense of belonging as everyone who lives here.
We take concerns about intimidation and discrimination seriously, and we are committed to engaging the Westchester County Human Rights Commission to ensure these concerns are appropriately reviewed and addressed.
SEPTEMBER 16–SENATOR GILLEBRAND HOLDS FIRST CONGRESSSIONAL MEETING ON MENOPAUSE
GILLIBRAND HOLDS FIRST EVER CONGRESSIONAL HEARING ON MENOPAUSE
**Watch The Hearing Here**
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Rick Scott (R-FL), ranking member and chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, held the first ever congressional hearing on menopause. At the hearing, expert witnesses testified about the urgent need to improve menopause research, training, and care.
Additionally, Gillibrand and Scott made a bipartisan request to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate how the federal government currently coordinates and funds menopause research and care.
“Menopause impacts over half of our population, and the fact that Congress has never held a hearing on it is absolutely disgraceful,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Today’s hearing was a critical step toward getting this issue front and center so that we can find the best ways to improve research, training, and care for women experiencing menopause. I am committed to working with all of my colleagues—men and women, Democrats and Republicans—to meet the moment on menopause.”
Menopause is one of the most under-researched, undertreated, and underdiagnosed fields of medicine. Women in midlife make up about a third of the U.S. population. However, less than 1% of federal women’s health research funding is allocated to menopause. Additionally, 80% of OB-GYN residents admit to being ill-prepared to discuss menopause—meaning that women who seek medical care for symptoms of menopause are often left untreated.
The lack of treatment for menopause also has massive economic implications. A study by the Mayo Clinic found that menopause costs the U.S. economy $26.6 billion per year, including $1.8 billion in lost work time alone. One in ten women leave the workforce because of menopause, taking decades of knowledge and experience with them.
Gillibrand and Scott’s bipartisan letter to GAO requests a report on the federal government’s role in menopause care and research. This report will help us better understand remaining gaps in menopause-related research, education, and treatment, and what the federal government can do to address these gaps. The text of the letter can be found here.
SEPTEMBER 16– GOVERNOR HOCHUL INTRODUCES “FLOODSAFE” TO PREDICT FLOODS, REDUCE FLOOD DAMAGE
Governor Hochul today announced the launch of FloodSafe NY, a partnership between the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to develop a first-in-the-nation statewide Hydrologic Monitoring Network to help communities better understand and predict flooding, so they can reduce the associated risks.
Originally proposed in Governor Hochul’s 2026 State of the State, FloodSafe NY will enhance the state’s streamgage network, giving local governments access to the water data needed to identify flooding patterns and hydrologic trends.
The improved technology will help communities save lives and reduce damage from future flooding events by anticipating flood risks earlier and making smarter infrastructure decisions.
“As climate change increases the frequency and intensity of flooding, New York State is making historic investments to make our infrastructure more resilient to extreme weather,” Governor Hochul said.
“This first-in-the-nation initiative will provide communities with data to make life-saving decisions and ensure a safer and more sustainable future for all New Yorkers.”
DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton said, “This nation-leading initiative delivers on Governor Hochul’s commitment to mitigate flood risk, support municipal partners and build more resilient communities without increasing costs to New Yorkers.
FloodSafe NY builds upon our partnership with USGS to provide flood-prone municipalities with critical data on flooding patterns to adapt to increasing storms, while also producing more accurate flood warnings that save lives and reduce property damage.
DEC is contracting with USGS to expand the statewide streamgage network and modernize existing gages.
The improvements will provide near real-time data on what is happening in streams and rivers to create precedent-setting flood prediction and emergency response capacity.
The network will also provide water data necessary to detect, respond to and monitor drought conditions, ensure adequate clean water supplies, improve water-resource policy, and fuel economic development. FloodSafe NY is funded by the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act and USGS Cooperative Matching Funds.
The FloodSafe NY initiative will upgrade existing streamgages with camera technology, backup data transmission and two-way telemetry to improve functionality while also reducing operation and maintenance costs.
Streamgages will be strategically placed in high-priority locations for flood warning, and cost-effective virtual streamgages will be deployed in data-sparse areas.
FloodSafe NY builds upon DEC’s highly successful Resilient NY stream study program by providing high-resolution data to prioritize watersheds and inform additional flood studies and create flood inundation maps that can identify high-risk flood-prone areas that are even more at risk due to climate change.
U.S. Representative George Latimer said, “FloodSafe NY marks an important innovation in how we confront flooding and protect families living in at‑risk neighborhoods. With climate change driving more intense storms and heavier rainfall, it is imperative that we implement optimal mitigation practices to reduce damage and safeguard our communities. I look forward to working with the DEC, USGS, Governor Hochul, and State Senator Bailey to ensure our neighborhoods remain protected amid rapidly changing environmental conditions.”
Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said, “As communities across New York face stronger storms and more frequent flooding driven by climate change, investing in resilience is essential. Under my leadership, the Senate Majority has prioritized protecting our communities, strengthening critical infrastructure, and safeguarding clean water by investing $750 million in the Clean Water Infrastructure Act and continuing support for the Environmental Bond Act in the FY 2026-27 State Budget. FloodSafe NY will equip local governments with the real-time data they need to better prepare for extreme weather, reduce flood risk, and make smarter infrastructure investments before disaster strikes. For communities along the Hutchinson River and flood-prone neighborhoods across the state, this tool will help strengthen preparedness, protect families and businesses and save lives. I thank Governor Hochul, Commissioner Lefton, and our federal partners for advancing this innovative initiative, which will help keep New Yorkers safe and build more resilient communities for generations to come.”
New York Water Science Center Director USGS Rob Breault said, “USGS is honored to partner with New York State on FloodSafe NY. The real innovation is pairing gages with a statewide model calibrated to every significant stream. That gives us predictive capability we’ve never had—better warnings, and a foundation for drought, water quality, and resource management across the state. We foresee FloodSafe NY becoming the blueprint for building better and more cost-effective water monitoring networks across the country.”
Earlier this year, Governor Hochul announced nearly $100 million in new grant funding to support nature-based and green infrastructure projects designed to reduce flood risk and enhance community resilience to extreme weather.
Two programs — the Resilient Watersheds Grant (RWG) Program, managed jointly by DEC and New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC), and the Community Resilience and Flood Risk Reduction Grants Program, administered by the New York State Department of State (DOS) — are part of the nation-leading State investments providing communities with the resources necessary to strengthen infrastructure, enhance water quality and protect New Yorkers.
Under the Governor’s leadership, New York passed the $4.2 billion Environmental Bond Act to support communities in their efforts to protect water quality, adapt to climate change, improve resiliency and create green jobs.
Through the Bond Act, she has championed dedicating millions in funding to support flood-prone communities through innovative, nature-based infrastructure, like green roofs, permeable pavement and restoring natural habitats, to help reduce stormwater runoff and mitigate flooding. Under her leadership, Bond Act funding is supporting more than 1,000 projects across New York State. Find additional information on the Environmental Bond Act and to sign-up for updates on funding programs and awards.