NOVEMBER 25 — HOCHUL SIGNS EXTENDED AGE ORDER OF PROTECTION PROVISIONS IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASES

GOVERNOR HOCHUL SIGNS LEGISLATION EXPANDING LEGAL PROTECTIONS IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TO THREATENED PERSONS OVER 18

Governor Kathy Hochul today signed legislation expanding protections in domestic violence cases in criminal and family court. This legislation recognizes that domestic violence does not just impact a person who is or was in an intimate relationship with an abuser –– it impacts their family and household members as well.

Under this legislation, all family and household members will be afforded the same process in court, including the ability to obtain an order of protection. Previous laws only allowed unrelated children under the age of 18 to be included on the adult family member’s order of protection.

Additionally, this legislation will allow these family and household members to file family offense petitions in Family Court. Today’s action, on International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, expands on Governor Hochul and the Legislature’s commitments to keeping all New Yorkers safe and combating domestic violence.

“Melanie Chianese should be standing with us today, along with countless New Yorkers lost at the hands of senseless and preventable acts of domestic violence,” Governor Hochul said. “By signing Melanie’s law, we are committing New York State, our law enforcement and our legal system to the fundamental principle that every person deserves to be protected.”

Melanie’s Law is named after Melanie Chianese, who was tragically killed by her mother’s ex-boyfriend while he was awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to a domestic violence felony.

Melanie’s mother, Cheryl Chianese-Cavalli, was able to get orders of protection for herself and Melanie’s four-year-old son, but Melanie was ineligible because she was 29.

Governor Hochul was joined at the signing by Melanie’s mother. Melanie’s Law recognizes the importance of protecting those close to a victim, as in many cases, those who harm will use any method to establish power and control over their partner, including hurting those who matter most to them.

Mother of Melanie Chianese, Cheryl Chianese-Cavalli said, “Today is a big step forward for domestic violence. Melanie’s Law will save lives and her legacy will live on forever in our hearts.”

State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said, “With Governor Hochul’s signing of Melanie’s Law today, New York takes a significant step forward in strengthening protections for survivors of domestic violence and their loved ones. I commend Senator Michelle Hinchey for her determination in championing this law and thank our partners in the Assembly for their collaboration in getting it done. Above all, I want to express my deepest gratitude to Melanie’s family and the advocates who have turned their pain into purpose, working tirelessly to make this law a reality. Their courage and determination will provide safety and peace of mind to countless families across our state.”

State Senator Michelle Hinchey said, “Today, thanks to one mother’s extraordinary courage and advocacy for change, Melanie’s Law, championed by her mom, Cheryl, is now law. Domestic violence leaves a trail of trauma that impacts entire families, and when people come forward for help, they deserve a legal system that offers protection and compassion. I’m proud to sponsor Melanie’s Law, which will help do that, allowing orders of protection to now extend to relatives of DV victims, providing a safeguard for those who often bear the ripple effects of abuse. My deepest thanks go to Governor Hochul for signing this vital legislation and Cheryl Chianese, whose advocacy has provided families with a stronger voice in their fight for safety through Melanie’s Law.” 

The signing comes one month after more than 250 professionals from across the state arrived in Albany to attend “Learning the Signs: Assessing the Risk of Lethality in Domestic Violence Cases” — the state’s first-ever summit of its kind — hosted by the state Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV) and the State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS). 

The two-day training provided law enforcement agencies, attorneys, social services staff, gender-based violence services providers and other professionals with the necessary training and tools to assess danger in domestic violence cases and respond in a survivor-centered, trauma-informed and culturally responsive manner.

Earlier in October, Governor Hochul announced a record-level, $35 million state investment to improve the public safety response to intimate partner abuse and domestic violence and better address the needs of victims and survivors.

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NOVEMBER 25 — AP: TRUMP OFF HOOK. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT MOVES TO DISMISS TRUMP DOCUMENTS CASE AND ELECTION INTERFERENCE CASE.

fROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS:

Federal prosecutors moved Monday to dismiss the criminal charges against President-elect Donald Trump that accused him of plotting to overturn the 2020 election and to abandon the classified documents case against him, citing longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution.

The decision by special counsel Jack Smith, who had fiercely sought to hold Trump criminally accountable for his efforts to subvert the 2020 election, represented the end of the federal effort against the former president following his election victory this month despite the election-related cases and multiple other unrelated criminal charges against him and is headed back to the White House.

The decision, revealed in court filings, also amounts to a predictable but nonetheless stunning conclusion to criminal cases that had been seen as the most perilous of the multiple legal threats Trump has faced. It reflects the practical consequences of Trump’s victory, ensuring he enters office free from scrutiny over his hoarding of top secret documents and his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.

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OCTOBER 25–OUTBREAK OUTLOOK NORTHEAST. NEW YORK COVID RETURNS TO MID-SUMMER LOWS. BIRD FLU CONCERNS IN PENNSYLVANIA

Outbreak Outlook – Northeast – Nov 25

Welcome to the Northeastern edition of Outbreak Outlook! It is only available to paid subscribers. If you wish to become a paid subscriber and access region-specific information, please click the Subscribe now button below. Thanks for reading! -Caitlin

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Respiratory Diseases

ILI

Most states in the region are doing fine with ILI, with a few exceptions.

New York City leads the Northeast with 4.6% outpatient ILI (up from 4.2%). NYC often has the highest activity in the region, so this pattern is familiar. New Jersey follows with 4.2% ILI (down slightly from 4.4%) and minimal wastewater activity.

New York (excluding NYC) reports 2.2% ILI with minimal wastewater activity, while Pennsylvania shows 1.6% ILI with minimal wastewater levels.

The northern New England states show much lower activity levels. Maine reports 1.6% ILI (down from 1.7%) with minimal wastewater activity, while Vermont is at 1.0% ILI with minimal wastewater levels. New Hampshire maintains 1.3% ILI with minimal wastewater activity.

Connecticut is reporting 2.4% ILI and minimal wastewater activity, while Rhode Island shows 1.4% ILI with moderate wastewater levels and a significant decrease from the previous week.

COVID-19

Wastewater activity is minimal in the Northeast, with a SARS-CoV-2 concentration lower than at any other point in the past year. Severe illness primarily held steady at low levels.

Source: CDC

Wastewater activity is minimal in New York, New Jersey, and low in Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut. In Maine, wastewater activity is still coming down from the late summer wave and has now decreased to moderate levels. In Rhode Island, activity increased to moderate levels a couple weeks ago, and remained stable this past week.

The exception to this generally calm picture is Pennsylvania, where activity increased by 4-fold in the past week, moving from low to high activity. It’s too soon to know what to make of this anomalous spike.

Source: CDC

Severe illness primarily held steady at very low levels this past week. Trips to the ED remained at minimal levels (<1.5%) in most states in the region. There were very small increases in ED visits in Maine and New Hampshire. However, it is too soon to tell whether these increases represent the start of an increasing trend or just some transient fluctuations, though the lack of an increase in wastewater activity in these states suggests it may be the latter. Hospitalizations held steady

in New York, at the fairly low level of 2.5 hospitalizations per 100,0000. Hospitalizations also held steady in Connecticut this past week at 2.0; it is now roughly back to where it was before the late summer wave.

RSV

Not much happening with RSV just yet.

Connecticut reports 0.8 per 100,000 and New York shows 0.7 per 100,000, both with concurrent increases in wastewater activity. These are very low levels of hospitalization. Rhode Island is showing very high wastewater activity but no reported hospitalization data.

RSV hospitalizations in Connecticut. Source: CDC

The remaining northeastern states, including Pennsylvania, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, and New Jersey, maintain minimal wastewater activity levels with very low hospitalization rates. New Hampshire showed a marked decrease in wastewater levels, while others remained relatively stable.

Other Bugs

The spread of many viruses that cause cold- and flu-like illness continues.

  • Parainfluenza viruses are fairly elevated, and at 5.9% test positivity are roughly three-quarters of the way to hitting their highest rate in the past year.
  • Rhinoviruses/enteroviruses continue to remain quite elevated, at 27% test positivity. Test positivity has been hovering between ~25-30% since September.
  • Adenoviruses have increased to 3.7% test positivity, which is fairly elevated. In the past five years, test positivity has tended to peak between 4-5% (with the exception of 2023, when it got up to 8%).
  • Human coronaviruses continued the same slow and steady week-over-week increase they’ve been on for the past two months. Test positivity is elevated but not particularly high (it is currently about half of its peak rate of the past year).

Stomach Bugs

Norovirus rates remain very low in the region, at 2.5% test positivity. If you’re traveling to other parts of the country for Thanksgiving, keep in mind that norovirus rates are high in every other region. To help reduce the chance of acquiring the virus, wash your hands frequently with soap and water (alcohol-based hand sanitizers are of little use against norovirus) and avoid touching your face.

Food recalls

The following foods are being recalled because they are contaminated. Please check your cupboards and throw out any of these items:

New:

  • Super brand dried cinnamon powder (more info)
  • Bagged carrots, full size and baby, sold at multiple retailers – this was previously reported, but it expanded to carrots sold under several additional brand names this past week (more info)
  • Fabalish Kickin’ Carrot Falafel Bites (related to the carrot recall above) (more info)
  • Gaines Family Farmstead Chicken Chips for Dogs. While not for human consumption, humans may be infected by Salmonella if they do not adequately wash their hands or contaminated surfaces after handling the product (more info)
  • Hollywood Feed Carolina Raised Chicken Chips [for Dogs]. Same as above (more info)

Previously reported:

  • Soft ripened cheeses, including brie, sold under multiple brand names, including Aldi, La Bonne Vie, and Glenview Farms (more info)
    • Prepackaged turkey sandwiches with spreadable brie sold under multiple brand names (more info)
  • Ready-to-eat poultry and meat products sold by Yu Shang Food, including pork belly, beef shank, and whole chicken (more info)
  • If you have food allergies, you may wish to review these FDA safety alerts and USDA alerts for foods with undeclared allergens.

In other news

  • As of November 15, 2024, New Brunswick, Canada is experiencing a significant measles outbreak, with 44 confirmed cases, most of which involve individuals aged 19 or younger. This surge has contributed to Canada’s annual measles case count reaching 100, the highest in five years. The outbreak, traced to an initial case reported on October 24 involving international travel, has been confined to Health Zone 3, encompassing Fredericton and parts of the Upper Saint John River Valley. In response, Public Health has organized vaccination clinics and is urging residents to ensure their immunizations are current to curb further transmission.
  • BIRD FLU CONCERNS IN PENNSYLVANIA
  • Pennsylvania will require H5N1 testing for milk starting Nov. 26 under a quarantine order signed by the state’s Agriculture Secretary. Milk tankers from Pennsylvania farms will be tested at least every 14 days, either at in-state processors or by farmers and cooperatives for out-of-state shipments. Positive tests will trigger quarantines and surveillance testing in affected zones. Developed with industry input and free for farmers, the program complements a forthcoming USDA bulk milk surveillance initiative aimed at mapping virus presence and enforcing biosecurity measures.
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NOVEMBER 22—-EMPIRE TRAIN SERVICE RESTORED IN NEW YORK STATE: HOCHUL ANNOUNCES

THE EMPIRE STATE EXPRESS ROLLING AGAIN

Railroad Agrees To Restore Trains and Add Additional Cars to Empire Service Following Governor’s Letter

Governor Kathy Hochul, Amtrak and the New York State Department of Transportation today announced a restoration of Amtrak’s Empire Service that will aid passengers during the upcoming holiday and winter travel seasons. Following a letter sent by Governor Hochul and others earlier this month urging Amtrak to take action, the railroad — in consultation with the New York State Department of Transportation — has agreed to restore nearly all of the trains that had been temporarily suspended in previously announced service modifications. Additionally, Amtrak has agreed to add additional cars to other Empire Service trains in order to further mitigate the disruption to passengers. 

“Ensuring access to reliable train travel throughout this key corridor is critical to riders who utilize the service and to communities who benefit from the economic activity they generate,” Governor Hochul said. “These service restorations are a huge victory for passengers who depend on the Empire Service, and I thank Amtrak for working with us to ensure that we minimize to the fullest extent possible the schedule disruptions caused by the East River Tunnel Rehabilitation Project.”

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