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04/25/2024

Mayor Adams, Speaker Adams announce effort to boost early childhood education enrollment
New York – New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams announced that thanks to strong fiscal management, the city will make multiple new investments, including more than $500 million in city and state funding for educational programs for young New Yorkers in Mayor Adams’ Executive Budget next week. First, the city will protect $514 million — the majority of which will be baselined with recurring dollars — in New York City Department of Education (DOE) programs that were only previously supported with temporary stimulus dollars, including mental health care, career readiness, and literacy programs for New York City public school students in the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Executive Budget.

The Adams administration will also launch a $5 million outreach effort to maximize the number of children enrolled in 3-K and Pre-K programs across New York City. Additionally, the city will invest $25 million in funding to provide special education classes and related services within district schools to Pre-K students with special needs who would otherwise be on waiting lists at contracted providers. Finally, Mayor Adams announced the city will invest $8 million toward the MyCity portal, making it easier for any New Yorker to apply for subsidized child care and other city services.

“Nobody works harder than New York City parents and families, and we know that nothing holds them back more than the lack of access to child care and support for their kids. Our administration has invested in our children, increasing public school enrollment, boosting test scores, and revolutionizing how we are teaching kids to read, and today we’re delivering again for working-class families,” said Mayor Adams. “Thanks to our strong fiscal management, we are protecting $514 million in key education programs spanning mental health care, literacy, and career readiness. We’re also investing in our youngest New Yorkers by launching a $5 million outreach effort to boost early childhood education enrollment, putting $25 million to support Pre-K students with special needs, and ensuring families can easily apply for child care with through the MyCity portal. Today is a good day for New Yorkers, for all working-class families, and for our children. Our administration made the right fiscal decisions for our city, but we never compromised on delivering the essential services New Yorkers rely on.”

“Today’s joint announcement of over $500 million in funding to support educational programs at risk of ending due to expiring federal stimulus funds is an important step forward in the city budget process,” said Speaker Adams. “Our students, especially those who require critical support services, need continued access to the programs that can help them recover from historic pandemic-era learning losses. The Council has consistently called for funding commitments to these vital initiatives that were at risk, including in our Preliminary Budget response. We have also focused on ensuring access to early childhood education programs and improving outreach efforts so that working and middle-class families can benefit from them. We are encouraged by this significant step and look forward to our continued work with the administration and all stakeholders to deliver a budget that supports essential services for New Yorkers. Our city budget must adequately invest in the city’s children, working families, and their collective future for a healthy, safe, and successful New York.”

“The Adams administration is committed to investing in the building blocks for our community: accessible, equitable, and affordable education and child care, and more efficient ways to access services,” said First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright. “The investments of over $500 million that we are announcing today demonstrate our ongoing commitments to our children and families. We will continue to refine our work to ensure we have the right resources in the right places for every New York city child and family to thrive.”

“The Adams administration believes that from the crib to career, government has a fundamental role in preparing our young people for success — and that starts with early childhood education,” said Deputy Mayor for Strategic Initiatives Ana J. Almanzar. “Today’s holistic, multi-million-dollar investment is part of an ongoing commitment from our city to make sure every student has the resources and tools to thrive. The old saying is true — it takes a village, or in our case, a city to raise a child. Together, New York City will raise our children to make sure they have everything they need to turn their dreams into a reality.”

“A strong educational foundation gives every child and young person the tools, resources, and supports they need to develop,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “Today’s announcement maintains important early childhood education programs and investments from pre-K through high school, offers sustained support for youth mental health, and has a range of other investments to address specific needs of students. Additionally, many of these programs are part of proactive efforts and early interventions to provide support to children, young people, and families on their path to thrive.”

“No parent should be forced to choose between keeping their job or taking care of their children and today’s announcement reaffirms this administration’s commitment to ensuring New Yorkers have access to high-quality, affordable child care,” said Chief of Staff Camille Joseph Varlack. “Every child deserves a chance to be able to thrive regardless of their zip code and by investing in programs and services that support everyday New Yorkers, we are building a brighter, safer, and more livable city for generations to come.”

“We are thrilled and deeply grateful for the monumental $500 million in permanent funding to support programming for our youngest learners, our students with disabilities, our multilingual learners, our non-traditional students, our student athletes, and to support school safety efforts,” said DOE Chancellor David C. Banks. “This transformative investment is a significant step towards ensuring that New York City remains a viable, vibrant home for young families where our children get a bright start and a bold future.”

“Since its launch one year ago, MyCity has improved the lives of thousands of working-class families across New York City by providing them easier access to critical child care subsidies,” said New York City Chief Technology Officer Matthew Fraser. “This significant investment re-affirms the Adams administration’s commitment to democratizing technology to make the city a better place to live and raise a family for all New Yorkers.”

“Coping with the extinction of COVID stimulus funds and navigating the harsh reality of saving permanent programs seeded with temporary dollars is not easy. Today’s announcement of $514 million in funding by the Adams administration for educational programs is a positive step towards our collective goals,” said New York City Councilmember Justin Brannan, chair, Finance Committee. “From early childhood education and community schools to bilingual services and arts programming, prioritizing equitable access to education and replacing expiring federal stimulus funds are top priorities in the Council’s Preliminary Budget response. As we head into Executive Budget hearings next month, we look forward to negotiating in good faith with the administration to deliver a budget that delivers for all New Yorkers.”

“Today’s announcement of over $500 million in funding marks a crucial advancement in safeguarding our educational initiatives from the threat of expiring federal stimulus funds,” said New York City Councilmember Rita Joseph, chair, Education Committee. “Our commitment to preserving these programs, particularly for students in need of vital support services, remains steadfast. The Council’s advocacy for funding, articulated in our Preliminary Budget response, underscores the importance of sustaining initiatives imperiled by the pandemic’s impact on learning. We are resolute in our efforts to ensure continued access to early childhood education programs and enhance outreach to benefit working and middle-class families. This significant milestone reaffirms the need for continued collaboration with the administration and stakeholders to craft a budget that prioritizes essential services for all New Yorkers. Investing in the well-being and future of our city’s children and working families is paramount for a thriving, secure, and prosperous New York.”

Currently, New York City has tens of thousands of empty early childhood education seats that remain unfilled every day. The city’s $5 million outreach effort aims to maximize the number of children enrolled in child care, and by focusing on populations and neighborhoods with low enrollment rates, the administration will help ensure the promise that any child who needs an early childhood education seat can access one. Since taking office, the Adams administration has prioritized making accessible and affordable child care available to any parent who needs it, boosting the number of children enrolled in child care by nearly 36,000 — a 27 percent increase — and reduced the per child co-pay from an average of $55 per week to less than $5 per week.

By stabilizing the budget and fiscal outlook, the Adams administration has been able to invest city and state recurring dollars and protect 15 DOE programs that were supported under the last mayoral administration with expiring federal stimulus dollars. In the Executive Budget, the Adams administration will apply a combination of $514 million in city resources and recurring state funds, to backfill programs, including:

Supporting the citywide 3-K expansion as it transitions from its original stimulus funding source ($92 million, FY25);
Supporting nearly 500 social workers and psychologists who provide mental health supports in schools ($74 million, FY25+);
Maintain funding for special education Pre-K providers to increase service hours, and resources for DOE-related services and evaluation teams ($56 million, FY25+);
Funding for the 113 Community Schools that were supported with stimulus ($48 million, FY25+) and Program to Eliminate the Gap restoration that would have impacted 170 Community Schools ($8 million, FY25+);
Pathways program that facilitates career pathways programs in high schools, offering apprenticeships, career-readiness, and access to college credits ($53 million, FY25+);
Arts funding programming ($41 million, FY25);
Funding for Learn to Work at transfer schools and Young Adult Borough Centers, which offer counselors and internships to at-risk adults and older youth at 66 sites ($31 million, FY25);
The Public Schools Athletic League ($27 million, FY25+);
Literacy and dyslexia programs and academic assessments for both English language arts, and math ($17 million, FY25+);
Funding for coordinators for students in temporary housing in schools and shelters ($17 million, FY25+);
Bilingual education funding for curriculum and assessment, teacher preparation and staffing, professional learning, and multilingual family and community engagement for 100 bilingual programs ($10 million, FY25+);
Programming provided by community-based organizations through Project Pivot that provides enrichment, youth development, and violence interruption for roughly 250 schools ($15 million, FY25);
Funding for six nonprofit affinity groups at nearly 170 schools that strive to prepare students for high school graduation, as well as for successful futures in a career or college ($10 million, FY25);
Support for the New Visions Data Platform data portal that is used by hundreds of schools to track and show student achievement and attendance data ($9 million, FY25); and
Translation and interpretation services for DOE students and families ($6 million FY25+).
The administration will also be expanding enrollment efforts with a $5 million investment to make sure that all New York City parents are aware of 3-K and Pre-K opportunities across the five boroughs so that the city can maximize the usage of these high-quality early childhood education programs that help children begin a lifelong journey of learning. These programs also help parents struggling with costly child care and help working families achieve more earning power.

Under Mayor Adams’ leadership, the city has made significant investments and enacted policies to support working-class families and put money back into the pockets of New Yorkers by reducing the per child co-payment or out-of-pocket cost of subsidized child care for a family earning $55,000 a year from $55 a week in 2022 to just $4.80 a week today. The city has also reduced the co-payments all families pay for subsidized care, bringing the average co-payment per child to less than $220 per year, down from $1,500 annually in 2022. Additionally, the Adams administration successfully advocated increasing the income threshold for families to access subsidized care to the federal maximum, meaning over 230,000 more children may qualify for a childcare subsidy.

The Adams administration has also boosted the number of children enrolled in child care, enrolling over 36,000 more children over the past two years, a 27 percent increase. Additionally, Mayor Adams released MyCity, a one-stop-shop portal where parents can easily apply for and track their applications for subsidized child care. In the first year since launching, 65 percent of all applications for childcare subsidies were received online through MyCity.

Image courtesy of Image provided

04/18/2024

USCIS adopts department of labor definition of “Science or Art”
Washington: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is issuing policy guidance (PDF, 321.14 KB) in the USCIS Policy Manual to add the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) definition of “science or art” for Schedule A, Group II cases.

For many employment-based 2nd and 3rd preference (EB-2 and EB-3) petitions, employers must obtain a labor certification from DOL before filing Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, with USCIS.

For certain occupations, referred to as Schedule A occupations, DOL has predetermined that there are not sufficient U.S. workers who are able, willing, qualified, and available. For these occupations, employers submit the labor certification directly to USCIS, bypassing DOL review. Currently, DOL has designated two groups of occupations under Schedule A: registered nurses and physical therapists (Group I); and beneficiaries with exceptional ability in the sciences or arts (except performing arts) and beneficiaries with exceptional ability in performing arts (Group II).

Since USCIS considers DOL regulations when adjudicating petitions based on Schedule A occupations, we are now adding reference to DOL’s regulatory definition of “science or art” into our policy to align with DOL, as it relates to Group II. When designating Schedule A, Group II, DOL defines science or art as “any field of knowledge or skill with respect to which colleges and universities commonly offer specialized courses leading to a degree in the knowledge or skill.” We made an additional update to explain that, as with all adjudications, we review both the quantity and the quality of the evidence provided.

This update does not change policy or operations. This is an update to incorporate the DOL definition in the USCIS Policy Manual.

Image courtesy of USCIS

04/09/2024

USCIS announces new guidance on Form I-693 validity period
Washington: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services April 4 announced that any Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, that was properly completed and signed by a civil surgeon on or after Nov. 1, 2023, does not expire and can be used indefinitely as evidence to show that the applicant is not inadmissible on health-related grounds.

In consultation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and based on advances in public health electronic notification, USCIS has determined that a Form I-693’s evidentiary value should no longer be limited to a certain period if it is properly completed and was signed by a civil surgeon on or after Nov. 1, 2023.

USCIS officers have discretion to request more evidence or a new or updated Form I-693 if they have reason to believe the applicant’s medical condition has changed since the civil surgeon signed the Form I-693, or that the Form I-693 submitted does not accurately reflect the applicant’s medical condition and the applicant may be inadmissible on health-related grounds.

If an applicant’s immigration medical examinations were completed before Nov. 1, 2023, the prior policy still applies. Before Nov. 1, 2023, civil surgeons did not need to share or report certain information to the CDC electronically. USCIS has consulted with the CDC and determined that a properly completed Form I-693 signed by a civil surgeon before Nov. 1, 2023, continues to retain evidentiary value for two years from the date of the civil surgeon’s signature.

This does not apply to Forms I-693 filed by Operation Allies Welcome parolees. Their Forms I-693 retain their evidentiary value for three years from the date of the civil surgeon signature, through policy and in consultation with CDC. For more information see the USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 8, Part B, Chapter 4.

Image courtesy of USCIS

03/22/2024

NYC Health+Hospitals/Bellevue attains national accreditation from American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer
NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue on March 21, 2024 announced that it has received accreditation as an Academic Comprehensive Cancer Program under the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Commission on Cancer (CoC) Accreditation Program. The accreditation tells cancer patients that they will have access to the highest-quality of cancer diagnosis, care coordination, treatment, and support at the hospital. The accreditation standards supply the structure for providing all patients with a full range of services either on-site or by referral, including community-based resources. Bellevue Hospital is one of only 14 hospitals in New York State to receive accreditation at this level.

The ACS CoC is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival and quality of life for patients with cancer. College of Surgeons accreditation is granted to institutions committed to providing high-quality cancer care by demonstrating compliance with the CoC standards. Each cancer program must undergo a rigorous evaluation and review of its performance and compliance with the CoC standards. To maintain accreditation, cancer programs must undergo a site visit every three years.

“This accreditation from the American College of Surgeons is another great milestone for our hospital as we seek the highest recognition for all the valued services we provide to the community,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue Chief Executive Officer William Hicks. “This special designation is the result of meaningful collaboration amongst our clinical programs and thoughtful programing that ensures we are meeting all the needs of our patients through their care experience.”

“Accreditation by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer is an important validation of the quality and performance of all our cancer services across all departments,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue Chief Medical Officer Nate Link, MD, MPH. “I am grateful to the team that prepared us for this important designation and thankful to our many physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, social workers and other Bellevue staff members who do such a great job taking care of these patients with such complex needs.”

“Our designation as an Academic Comprehensive Cancer Program underscores our commitment to the highest standards in surgical quality, optimal cancer care, and postgraduate training across multiple oncologic disciplines,” said Ann Lee, MD, FACS, Division Chief of Surgical Oncology and Chair of the Bellevue Cancer Committee. “This accreditation signifies our dedication to excellence, ensuring that all New Yorkers have access to the highest standard of cancer treatment and support, regardless of background, insurance status, or ability to pay.”

As a CoC-accredited institution, Bellevue also becomes an ACS Surgical Quality Partner. Being a Surgical Quality Partner signifies an institution’s dedication to consistently improving procedures and approaches, while maintaining a critical eye on process at every step. The Surgical Quality Partner designation lets patients know Bellevue is dedicated to quality and relentless self-improvement and has been verified or accredited by the ACS. Patients can trust that the care they receive at Surgical Quality Partner hospitals adheres to the most rigorous standards in surgical quality.

“ACS Quality programs are grounded in more than a century of experience and participation is an important measure of a hospital’s surgical quality. As an ACS Surgical Quality Partner, NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue has shown a commitment providing the best possible patient care, evaluating that care in a rigorous fashion, and dedicating themselves to continuous self-improvement,” said ACS Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS.

Image courtesy of Image provided

03/18/2024

US needs highly qualified professionals from India, says Congressman Cartwright
The United States needs highly qualified professionals from India, an influential American lawmaker has said, advocating that the US Congress remove the seven per cent country quota for issuing of Green Cards that has resulted in decades of long wait for professionals from India who have moved to this country.

It’s so important that Indians are able to immigrate to the United States when they’re looking for jobs because the United States depends on high quality, high skilled, very smart people coming from all over the world to work here. It’s one of the natural advantages of the United States that we welcome people from all over the world, Congressman Matt Cartwright, who represents the 8th Congressional District of Pennsylvania, told PTI in an interview.

Cartwright is supporting the move by Indian American organizations, including the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora (FIIDS) for removing the per country seven per cent quota in issuing Green Cards every year.

The problem is that we have limited this to seven per cent from every country, and that disproportionately hurts big nations like India. Not only big, but also very highly skilled. There are so many highly educated people in India, and it’s a resource that the United States would be foolish, foolhardy not to take full advantage of the people who want to come to this country and become part of our economy and become part of our brain trust in this nation, Cartwright said in response to a question.

The United States of America has always welcomed people of high intellect and high ethical standards and work standards to come here and invigorate our economy. That’s been part of a tradition in the United States for a couple of hundred years, and so to cut ourselves off with this arbitrary seven per cent number, that’s a mistake, and that’s why I’m proud to be part of the effort to do away with that, he said.

Responding to a question, the Congressman said it is essential that the US has a close and enduring friendship with India.

The international trade that goes on between the two countries is vital. The most important export from India are the people. In my own district in northeastern Pennsylvania, it is a vibrant, wonderful, family-oriented community of Indians. In fact, they talked me into going to visit the BAPS Temple in Robbinsville, New Jersey, which I did last year. I was astonished. I was awestruck. I was blown away by that temple. I want to go back. In fact, I was there when they were dedicating it. 12,000 volunteers put that thing together. These are the kinds of people we want in the United States of America, Cartwright said.

Image courtesy of cartwright.house.gov

03/07/2024

Anil Menon graduates as Nasa astronaut
Washington: Dr. Anil Menon, son of Indian and Ukrainian immigrants, has graduated as a Nasa astronaut after a two-year-long training with the American space agency.

Anil Menon was selected by NASA to join the 2021 Astronaut Candidate Class and he reported for duty in January 2022. Menon was SpaceX’s first flight surgeon, helping to launch its first humans to space during the Demo-2 mission and building a medical organization to support the human system during future missions.

Prior to that, he served NASA as the crew flight surgeon for various expeditions on the International Space Station. Menon is an actively practicing emergency medicine physician with fellowship training in wilderness and aerospace medicine.

As a physician he was a first responder during the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, 2015 earthquake in Nepal, and the 2011 Reno Air Show accident. In the U.S. Air Force, Lt. Col. Menon supports the 45th Space Wing as a flight surgeon and supported the 173rd Fighter Wing where he logged over 100 sorties in the F-15 and transported over 100 patients as part of the critical care air transport team.

Menon was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Ukrainian and Indian immigrants. He is married to Anna Menon who works at SpaceX, and they have two children. Menon enjoys teaching general aviation as a certified flight instructor and has logged over 1,000 hours as a pilot.

Image courtesy of NASA

02/28/2024

US dy secy of State meets Indian officials, discusses strategic partnership
The US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma has met with senior Indian ministers and officials in New Delhi to advance the US-India global strategic partnership and ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific region, according to his spokesperson.

Verma, the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, is the highest-ranking Indian American in the State Department.

The former US Ambassador to India was on an official visit to India from February 19 to 21.

He met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra, Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane, and Deputy National Security Advisor Vikram Misri in New Delhi, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said here on Thursday.

Verma’s meetings explored opportunities to strengthen US-India cooperation and people-to-people ties to ensure a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, Miller said.

He also met with Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal to discuss further expanding trade and economic ties between the US and India.

The Deputy Secretary and Indian officials further emphasised the benefits of close partnership on addressing global issues, Miller said.

Verma is on a six-day official visit to India, Sri Lanka and Maldives till Friday to strengthen bilateral ties with the nations, reaffirming America’s enduring commitment to a free, open, secure, and prosperous region.

Image courtesy of devdiscourse.com

02/21/2024

Satwinder Kaur elected Kent City Council President
New York: Indian-American Satwinder Kaur has been unanimously elected as the Kent City Council President in the state of Washington.

Kaur, in her new role will serve for two years. She replaces Bill Boyce, who served as council president for two years, according to the news portal Kent Reporter.

Boyce, in his 13th year on the council, nominated Kaur.

“You’ve got some little shoes to fill. I’m sure you will do a great job and we are here to support you and make sure you are very successful,” Boyce said after Kaur’s election in a February 6 meeting.

Kaur expressed gratitude to Boyce for his leadership and for being a good mentor.

“As I start this I know all of us have the same goal of serving the community and making sure Kent is a better place for all of us,” Satwinder Kaur said.

The council president has to work closely with the mayor and also serves as the official spokesperson of the council.

“I’m very excited to work with you and to move this council forward in the next couple of years,” Mayor Dana Ralph said to Kaur.

According to the Kent City Council website, Kaur sees her role on the council as a great learning opportunity and a chance to bring a fresh set of eyes to the city’s problems.

“I want to bring new perspectives that may not have been considered before,” the website says, quoting Kaur.

As a lifelong resident and a graduate of Kentridge High School, Kent City Councilmember Satwinder Kaur calls Kent home, where she lives with her husband and a middle-school-aged son.

Image courtesy of Kent Washington

02/14/2024

President Biden slams Trump for his comments on Nikki Haley’s husband
President Joe Biden has slammed his predecessor Donald Trump for dragging Indian-American Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s husband into the swirl of personal attacks.

Haley’s husband Major Michael Haley, a commissioned officer with the South Carolina National Guard, is currently on a year-long deployment with the 218th Maneuver Enhancement Bridge, which is providing support in the Horn of Africa. He deployed in June.

Trump at a rally in South Carolina on Saturday questioned the whereabouts of Michael Haley.

Where’s her husband? Oh, he’s away… What happened to her husband? Where is he? He’s gone, Trump said at his rally in Conway in South Carolina, his first visit to the state this year.

The answer is that Major Haley is abroad, serving his country right now. We know he thinks our troops are ‘suckers,’ but this guy wouldn’t know about service to his country if it slapped him in the face, Biden said in a tweet on Sunday.

Haley, 52, the only candidate against Trump in the Republican Party’s nomination race, fired back at Trump’s comments later on Saturday and again on Sunday.

Donald Trump’s comments represent a pattern of disrespect to every military member who sacrifices for us and the families who sacrifice alongside them, she told Face The Nation CBS on Sunday.

Military service is an incredible sacrifice, not only by those in uniform but also by the families who stand behind them. I am grateful for every single one of you, she said.

I’m running for president because my husband, Michael, and his military brothers and sisters put their lives on the line to fight for our country. We should be willing to fight for our country here at home, Haley said Sunday.

“Donald, if you have something to say, don’t say it behind my back; get on a debate stage and say it to my face, she told a crowd in South Carolina on Saturday.

I am proud of Michael’s service. Every military family knows it’s a sacrifice. I have long talked about the fact that we need to have mental competency tests for (politicians) over the age of 75,” she said.

Trump claims he would pass that maybe he would, maybe he wouldn’t, she said.

“But if you mock the service of a combat veteran, you don’t deserve a driver’s license, let alone to be president of the United States,” she said.

Image courtesy of Business Standard