Job Openings Ease, but Layoffs Are Little Changed - The New York Times

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Government data for October shows the labor market is still strong, though cooling slightly.

Employers continued to pull back in October on the number of jobs they were looking to fill, the latest sign that the labor market is strong but gradually cooling.

About 10.3 million positions were open on the last day of October, the Labor Department said Wednesday, down from 10.7 million the previous month. Vacant positions in October effectively equaled the level in August, seasonally adjusted.

Reductions in job openings occurred in a broad range of industries including manufacturing, construction, professional and businesses services, and state and local government. Still, openings in every major industry remained above prepandemic levels, underscoring the persistent strength in the labor market despite higher borrowing costs.

The Federal Reserve is trying to constrain hiring in its efforts to tame inflation, concerned that a hot job market is forcing employers to raise wages, contributing to soaring prices.

Other measures in the report — the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS — affirm the labor market’s resilience. There were roughly 1.7 posted jobs for every unemployed worker, still extraordinarily high by historical standards.

In recent weeks, a number of technology companies have announced sweeping layoffs. Elon Musk, Twitter’s new owner, slashed the company’s work force in half in early November. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, shed 11,000 people, or about 13 percent of its workers.

Even as the job cuts in the technology industry have dominated the headlines, however, layoffs across the entire economy in October were largely unchanged at 1.4 million, low by historical standards, suggesting that employers remain hesitant to part with workers after the pandemic-era hiring frenzy.

The number of workers voluntarily quitting their jobs — an indicator of how confident workers are that they will be able to find better employment opportunities — ticked down but only slightly.

Although the report overall pointed to continued elevated demand for workers, there were undeniable signs that the labor market is weakening.

After a surprise jump in September, job openings resumed their march lower. There were four million quits in October, continuing the downward trend from the “Great Resignation” peak last year. The rate of people quitting their jobs — the number of people voluntarily leaving their jobs divided by total employment — was the lowest it had been since May 2021, at 2.6 percent.

“Today’s JOLTS report shows that the job market is gradually slowing,” said Daniel Zhao, an economist at the career site Glassdoor. “And that’s in line with what we have been seeing in other data as well.”

A more up-to-date readout of the economy will come on Friday, when the Labor Department releases data on monthly job growth and unemployment in November. Employers added 261,000 jobs in October.

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December 01, 2022 at 01:52AM
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Job Openings Ease, but Layoffs Are Little Changed - The New York Times

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Even as Singapore lifts gay sex ban, LGBT families feel little has changed - Reuters.com

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SINGAPORE, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Olivia Chiong and her wife, Irene Chiong, feel like the Singapore government has made clear to them and their two young children that they don't belong in the city-state.

So this week's vote by Singapore's parliament to decriminalise gay sex changed nothing about the family's painful decision to leave rather than see their daughters Zoey and Vicky denied schooling - because their legal status remains the same.

Though Indonesia-born Chiong lived in Singapore for decades as a permanent resident, married a Singaporean citizen abroad and gave birth to their first child in Singapore, her first daughter Zoey was denied permanent residency at 18 months old.

Chiong says she was given no reason for the government rejecting her daughter's residency, though it likely did not help that she had to apply as a single, foreign mother because her marriage is not officially recognised.

Without legal residency or a student pass, which may be denied, even private Singaporean schools cannot enrol a child.

A wealthy society straddling traditional and progressive values, Singapore this week decriminalised sex between men, and at the same time entrenched the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman, and of family as mother, father, and children.

"We will try and maintain a balance ... to uphold a stable society with traditional, heterosexual family values, but with space for homosexuals to live their lives and contribute to society," Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam told parliament.

MORE LIBERAL

The system maintains an unfavourable status quo for children of couples such as Chiong and her wife, who have since moved to the United States.

While the government's decision to repeal the colonial-era sodomy law was cheered as a symbolic victory for the gay community, many worry LGBT families will continue to suffer under public policies that favour heterosexual marriages and families.

For Chiong, who married her Singaporean wife in the United States, the repeal is "one step forward and 10 steps back".

"What is the government trying to do? Are they trying to tell you, 'Send your child away'?" the 42-year-old said in a telephone interview from Seattle, where she now lives.

The family emigrated in 2016.

In Singapore, grassroots attitudes towards the LGBT community have become more liberal in recent years, especially among the young.

Among Singaporeans aged 18-25, about 42% accepted same-sex marriage in 2018, up from 17% five years prior, according to a survey by the Institute of Policy Studies.

SLOW CHANGES

But laws in Singapore are slower to change.

The government maintains its policy "is and has always been to uphold heterosexual marriage and promote the formation of families within such marriages".

Prime Minister-in-waiting Lawrence Wong has said these policies will not change on his watch.

Activists say national policies on a range of issues including adoption, surrogacy, education, media and housing are such that children of LGBT parents are effectively penalised for being part of non-traditional families.

Ivan Cheong, partner and a family lawyer with Withers KhattarWong who takes LGBT families as clients, said children of anyone resident in the city-state should at least be entitled to enrolment "in private schools and at rates which are not subsidised" as many parents were willing to pay tuition fees upwards of S$20,000 ($14,530) per year.

But influential conservative groups that strongly opposed lifting the gay sex ban make it politically uncomfortable for the ruling party to further change laws.

An alliance of more than 80 Singaporean churches has decried repealing the gay sex ban as an "extremely regrettable decision" that "celebrates homosexuality".

Lawmakers this week amended the constitution so that only parliament, dominated by the ruling party, can define marriages.

Such decisions should not be led by the courts, government ministers said, citing the Indian Supreme Court's decision in August to widen the definition of familial relationships.

However, the changes do not close the door to a future parliament widening the definition of marriage.

'PUNISHING THE CHILD'

LGBT families in Singapore now worry that further change will not come in time for them.

One single, gay Singaporean man, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue, said he has to leave the country every three months to renew the tourist visa of his baby, born overseas through surrogacy.

While he is hopeful the child can gain citizenship in time for school, he is also working on a "plan B" to leave his home country.

A British couple, permanent residents who spent a decade in Singapore, were forced to return to Britain in mid-2020 after their two sons, born of surrogacy, were denied residency and student visas.

One of the fathers, who also declined to be identified, said he knows at least a dozen families facing the same hurdles, many with at least one Singaporean parent.

"You do that to your own citizens and that is cruel," he said. "You're punishing the child."

The government did not respond to Reuters' questions about the rights of LGBT families and their children's residency and access to education.

Chiong, now a product manager in Seattle, says her family has no plan to return to Singapore.

Zoey and Vicky, now 9 and 5, are attending elementary school.

"In the U.S., you don't even know who in the school or in the class is American or not. They educate every child. They treat every child the same," she said.

Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor and Alex Richardson

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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November 30, 2022 at 02:58PM
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Even as Singapore lifts gay sex ban, LGBT families feel little has changed - Reuters.com

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Trail Blazers' Nassir Little: Won't return Tuesday - CBS Sports

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Little is out for the remainder of Tuesday's game against the Clippers due to a right hip strain.

Before Little suffered his hip injury in the second half of Tuesday's game, he had posted one point and one rebound in 15 minutes. Little's status for Wednesday's back-to-back against the Lakers is uncertain.

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Trail Blazers' Nassir Little: Won't return Tuesday - CBS Sports

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This little pipe - Martha's Vineyard Times

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Come Thanksgiving, Gregory West Drake thinks about “the pipe,” a hefty little metal object said to have crossed the Atlantic aboard the Mayflower, been smoked by Myles Standish in the Plymouth colony, and subsequently passed down through a long line of Standish offspring. It eventually showed up on Martha’s Vineyard in the possession of Standish Bradford Gorham, a New York advertising executive, retired to a waterfront house on Lake Tashmoo where young Greg learned to water ski. Eventually Gorham gifted the pipe to Greg’s mother, Helen West Drake, daughter of Capt. Ellsworth Luce West, Martha’s Vineyard’s last mariner to sail the seas in pursuit of whales. According to a yellowed newspaper clipping from the New York Sun dated Saturday, Dec. 24, 1938, Standish Gorham, the advertising executive of Lake Tashmoo, was the seventh great-grandson of Myles Standish. 

The article by Helen Burr Smith wrote of the pipe’s travels: “This valuable relic was lent by Jabez Austin Gorham and exhibited at the Cotton States and International Exposition in Atlanta, Ga., in 1895. In 1904 it was lent and exhibited at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. The following quotation is from a letter to Jabez Austin Gorham from the director of the Massachusetts Historic Exhibit. ‘The Massachusetts Commissioners desire me to express to you their grateful appreciation for your cooperation in loaning this valuable relic for the adornment of the Massachusetts Building at the World’s Fair. It added greatly to the Historical Exhibit and attracted much attention from visitors.’”

Flash-forward to the 21st century, when Greg brought the pipe to the Martha’s Vineyard Museum in its little wooden traveling case, with the inscription, “This Pipe was owned by Capt. Miles Standish in 1620.”

Museum findings

On Nov. 26, 2007, the Martha’s Vineyard Museum wrote a letter, signed by Jill Bouck: The pipe did not come from England, and it was unlikely to have been smoked by Standish.

“This pipe would not be something that an English gentleman would have brought from England to America in the 17th century. The most common English pipes were of clay or wood at that time. A small number of metal pipes were made in Europe for trade with the native people in this country, but again, they were a bit fancier.”

The letter continued to explain that the pipe certainly is very old — very similar to those made in the late 1600s by Native Americans. The pipe is also similar to others that have been found in New England and on the East Coast. Based on museum research and evidence, the letter reads, “It seems likely that your ancestor acquired this pipe in New England. Possibly he received it from a Native American he met here. It may have been a gesture of goodwill or another type of encounter.” Because of the unique nature of the pipe, or of the encounter, the pipe was saved and treasured as a souvenir of that experience.

No one able to shed light on the pipe’s “acquired” pedigree is alive today. But such family legends abound, according to A. Bowdoin Van Riper, research librarian at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum.

How common are such stories?

“Those stories are widespread,” said Van Riper. Family legends tend to fall into three categories of veracity, the historian points out: true stories, well-established by historical research; flat-out made-up tales; and at times a mix of both.

“In some cases,” points out the librarian, “those connections are legitimate: John Adams, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Daniel Webster really did visit the Vineyard before the Civil War.” Herman Melville really did sail on a whaling ship commanded by Capt. Valentine Pease Jr. of Edgartown, and some people really do have swords that were presented to their ancestors by General Grant or the Marquis de Lafayette, Van Riper said. 

In other cases, some connections are embellished, according to Van Riper. Among the tales where fact could have been knitted together with fantasy is that of Thomas Chase of Vineyard Haven, a privateer — a kind of government-sanctioned pirate — during the Revolutionary War. Established historical facts, according to Van Riper, are that Chase “was captured by the British and thrown into a naval prison, and was eventually released in a prisoner exchange and signed onto one of the ships in John Paul Jones’ squadron.”

But a fanciful part of Chase’s tale endures today, according to Van Riper: “a persistent legend that Jones had stopped in Vineyard Haven before the war, met Chase (then a teenage boy), and recognized him in the prison.” We don’t know that the part isn’t true, but there’s no solid documentation other than “it’s a story told for generations in the Chase family.”

Made-up stories

There are cases where “almost certainly, the connections are just flat-out made up,” said Van Riper, “either because the people doing so want a more exciting history for their family or their community, or because they were trying to entertain the grandkids, and figured, ‘What could it hurt?’ Over time these tales can start to be taken seriously, and, like a game of telephone, can, in the course of getting repeated, take on the appearance of truth.” And then the internet’s ability to multiply statements just makes that phenomen more intense, Van Riper explained. 

“Family stories that X object came over on the Mayflower, or Y ancestor hung out with a great man (or great woman) from history, can be difficult to prove or disprove,” points out Van Riper. Generally, disproving these stories is easier. Van Riper said we know (mostly) who was on the Mayflower, and if your ancestor wasn’t, chances are their stuff (your heirloom) probably wasn’t either. We know that certain kinds of goods categorically weren’t on the Mayflower, so if family legend says that “great-grandma’s spinning wheel” was among them, we can say (with certainty) that no spinning wheels came on the Mayflower.

But if it’s an artifact that’s from the right period, owned by the direct descendant of somebody who was on the Mayflower, all Van Riper can say is, “The odds are long, but it’s not impossible.” People who grew up hearing these stories are attached to them, and so are very, very rarely invested in finding out what the truth is.

“The provenance of Greg’s pipe — while not the story passed down to him — is important,” Van Riper said. “Although the pipe Greg has in his possession may not have traveled on the Mayflower, the treasure has been judged to be a centuries-old artifact crafted by early Native Americans.”

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November 29, 2022 at 10:45PM
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This little pipe - Martha's Vineyard Times

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Little League® International Mourns the Passing of Former Ohio District 4 Administrator Alan Parnacott - littleleague.org

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Little League® International remembers Alan Parnacott, former Ohio District 4 Administrator. He was 73.

A native of Massillon, Ohio, Mr. Parnacott began his service to the Little League program with Massillon Little League. After years of volunteering on the local league level as a coach and umpire, and in support of the Little League Challenger Division®, Mr. Parnacott was elected as Ohio District 4 Administrator in June 1994. He served in that capacity for 16 years (1994 to 2010).

Mr. Parnacott is survived by his partner, Valerie; daughters, Julie, and Susan; son, Jason; stepchildren, Danny, Amy, Amy, and Chad; and several grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was predeceased by his parents, Jim, and Cora.

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Little League® International Mourns the Passing of Former Ohio District 4 Administrator Alan Parnacott - littleleague.org

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'Pretty Little Liars: Summer School': Jordan Gonzalez Upped To Series Regular For Season 2 - Deadline

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EXCLUSIVE: Jordan Gonzalez, who heavily recurred as Ash Romero in Season 1 of Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, has been promoted to series regular for the upcoming second season of the HBO Max series, which was recently retitled Pretty Little Liars: Summer School.

Gonzalez’s Ash is a handsome transgender student at Millwood High and romantic interest to Minnie, played by Malia Pyles. The fan-favorite Ash is the first transmasculine character to be introduced in the series.

Created by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Lindsay Calhoon Bring, the new series debuted five years after the original Pretty Little Liars series ended, focusing on new characters in the new fictional town of Millwood, PA and with multiple references to iconic horror movies (think Carrie and the original Halloween).

Per the Season 1 logline: Twenty years ago, a series of tragic events almost ripped the blue-collar town of Millwood apart. Now, in present day, a disparate group of teen girls — a brand-new set of Little Liars — find themselves tormented by an unknown Assailant and made to pay for the secret sin committed by their parents two decades ago…as well as their own.

Bailee Madison also stars as Imogen Adams, Chandler Kinney as Tabby Haworthe, Zaria as Faran Bryant, Maia Reficco as Noa Olivar, Bechtel as Karen/Kelly Beasley, Sharon Leal as Sidney Haworthe, Elena Goode as Marjorie Olivar, Eric Johnson as Sheriff Tom Beasley, Alex Aiono as Shawn Noble and Lea Salonga as Elodie Honrada.

Pretty Little Liars: Summer School is is produced by Aguirre-Sacasa’s Muckle Man Productions and Alloy Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television. Aguirre-Sacasa and Calhoon Bring executive produce. I. Marlene King (who developed the original Pretty Little Liars), Michael Grassi, and Alloy’s Leslie Morgenstein and Gina Girolamo are also executive producers of the series, which is based on Alloy’s bestselling series of books by Sara Shepard. Jimmy Gibbons serves as a producer for Muckle Man Productions.

Gonzalez also recurred in the second season of The L Word: Generation Q for Showtime He’s repped by A3 Artists Agency, Mosaic and attorney, Johnson, Shapiro, Slewett & Kole.

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'Pretty Little Liars: Summer School': Jordan Gonzalez Upped To Series Regular For Season 2 - Deadline

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Governor Hochul Announces Transformational Projects in Little Falls as Part of $10 Million Downtown Revitalization Initiative - ny.gov

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Governor Kathy Hochul today announced eight transformational projects in the City of Little Falls as part of the $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative Award. The awards will leverage the community's walkability, and rich historic, cultural and natural resources. Renderings of the Little Falls revitalization projects are available here.

"The Downtown Revitalization Initiative is all about making our New York communities even better places to live, work and play," Governor Hochul said. "Little Falls residents have seen the potential of their community as the Gateway to the Adirondacks, and I have been struck by their passion for taking it to the next level. I want to thank every person who has made today's announcement possible as we turn the page and build a brighter future for this community."

The Little Falls Downtown Revitalization Initiative award will help to create a more unified downtown to improve walkability and bikeability for residents and to catalyze additional investment along Main Street and within Canal Place. Through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, the City is transforming the downtown experience by allowing a more natural flow for vehicular traffic, establishing a small business assistance fund, and replacing the Main Street Canopy to make walking, shopping, and dining downtown even more enjoyable year-round.

The investments are part of the Governor's ongoing efforts to revitalize the upstate economy and create more opportunities for the Mohawk Valley. In addition to awarding grants for catalytic community investments, the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, led by the Department of State, provides technical assistance to participating communities as they develop a Strategic Investment Plan and identify projects to revitalize their downtown areas.

The specific projects to be funded through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative include:

Creating Affordable Senior Housing - DRI Award: $2,500,000

Renovation of the M&T building will create senior housing, amenities for the residents, and commercial space, while maintaining the existing bank.

Enhancing Connectivity of Seeley Street - DRI Award: $1,800,000

Transform Seeley Street into a bicycle and pedestrian waterfront walkway by repaving the existing roadway and installing lighting and guide rails. This will connect Canal Place to Moss Island and the historic Lock 17.

Modernizing and Replacing the Iconic Main Street Canopy - DRI Award: $1,670,000

Redesign and modernize the iconic Main Street Canopy while retaining and preserving its historic character. Creating continuity of the canopy will benefit all businesses and visitors.

Improving Main Street Streetscape - DRI Award: $1,600,000

Improve the streetscape along the length of Main Street by including a separated two-way bike lane from Albany to Ann Street, green infrastructure between Ann and School Street, and repaving of the entire corridor.

Renovating Vacant Facility and Expand Public Access to Waterfront - DRI Award $640,000

Renovating a former hydroelectric facility into a vibrant space with offices for STEAM anchor tenants, a multipurpose community space, and a hub for film and movie production.

Establishing a Downtown Little Falls Fund to Support Small Business Development - DRI Award $600,000

Support smaller scale projects through the Downtown Little Falls Grant Fund such as façade improvements, signage, lighting, murals, and energy efficiency upgrades.

Enhancing Community Access and Use of the Little Falls Library - DRI Award $500,000

Increase accessibility of the Little Falls library with a new elevator shaft and elevator and transform its underutilized third floor into community spaces for counseling, GED prep, tutoring.

Increasing High-Quality Childcare and Community Services - DRI Award $390,000

Expand the Little Falls Youth & Family Center at its 45 Furnace Street location to increase the capacity of its existing childcare facility and redevelop the 524 E. Main Street location to accommodate an emergency childcare facility.

New York Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez said, "The Little Falls community will benefit from these eight projects and build upon recent investments that connect the community to the waterfront along the Erie Canal. This $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative award will go a long way toward increasing opportunities for residents, businesses and visitors to Little Falls. The Department of State looks forward to working with the city to bring its vision to life."

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, "The Downtown Revitalization Initiative provides cities with an opportunity for smart growth that benefits an entire community and Little Falls is no exception. Their strategic plan capitalizes on its waterfront assets, broadens housing choices, increases opportunities for small businesses, removes barriers to employment for families in need of childcare and creates a more walkable, bikeable downtown that is well positioned for future success."

New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, "Through the state's Downtown Revitalization Initiative, we are supporting community-driven projects that boost our local economies and make a real impact on the everyday lives of New Yorkers. Today's awards in Little Falls will create new affordable homes for seniors, transform Main Street into a more walkable and attractive corridor for visitors, upgrade public services for residents, and ultimately help the city grow and succeed as a cultural destination."

State Senator Peter Oberacker said, "Little Falls won New York State DRI funding thanks to a plan that exhibited a compelling vision for economic development and community growth. These projects, conceived by local stakeholders, will highlight the city's history while building for a successful future that will benefit Little Falls and the entire Mohawk Valley region."

Assemblymember Brian Miller said, "The eight key projects that the City of Little Falls will undertake as part of their $10 Million Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) Award is positive news not only for the City of Little Falls and its residents, but the entire Mohawk Valley region. The continued revitalization of Little Falls is critical to the economic success of the area. Little Falls has much to offer with unlimited potential to capitalize on its natural waterfront resources and rich cultural heritage. The key projects to be completed will unify downtown, spur additional investments business and otherwise on Main Street and Canal Place, as well as improve the quality of life in the city. I commend the City for its continued efforts to revitalize, strengthen and develop a vibrant sustainable downtown community through use of the DRI Award. The city's exemplary projects are a testament of how DRI Awards can benefit communities and transform neighborhoods."

Little Falls Mayor Mark Blask said, "Beyond grateful to Governor Hochuland Secretary of State Rodriguez. As the second smallest city in the state we appreciate Governor Hochul always looking out for the smaller communities. We look forward to improving the downtown district and making Little Falls an even more vibrant area to live and visit."

Downtown Revitalization Initiative

New York State's Downtown Revitalization Initiative, a cornerstone of its economic development program, transforms downtown neighborhoods into vibrant centers that offer a high quality of life and are magnets for redevelopment, business, job creation, and economic and housing diversity. Led by the Department of State with assistance from Empire State Development, Homes and Community Renewal and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, the Downtown Revitalization Initiative represents an unprecedented and innovative "plan-then-act" strategy that couples strategic planning with immediate implementation and results in compact, walkable downtowns that are a key ingredient to helping New York State rebuild its economy from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to achieving the State's bold climate goals by promoting the use of public transit and reducing dependence on private vehicles. More information on the Downtown Revitalization Initiative is available here.

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Governor Hochul Announces Transformational Projects in Little Falls as Part of $10 Million Downtown Revitalization Initiative - ny.gov

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Brooklyn Democratic Machine Appoints Little Pakistan Residents Party Posts Without Knowledge - THE CITY

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At least ten people living in Brooklyn’s Little Pakistan neighborhood were appointed to obscure but meaningful positions within the borough’s Democratic Party organization without their knowledge in October, an investigation by THE CITY has found.

The irregular appointments were for the “county committee,” a body of neighborhood representatives across the borough who vote on the party’s rules and its nominees for special elections in deliberations that have become flashpoints of heated intra-party rivalries.

In phone calls and conversations in person at homes, apartments and storefronts across Kensington, Brooklyn, numerous residents, nearly all of them South Asian immigrants, said they had no idea how they or their family members had ended up as county committee representatives for the 44th Assembly District. In some cases, people had moved out of the state months before they were appointed, residents of their former residences told THE CITY.

Zulfiqar Ali, 58, who runs a cash transfer business on Coney Island Avenue, was unaware of his appointment until THE CITY visited his shop last Thursday. Ali said he had “no idea” who slotted him into the position. 

“I’m with Democrats,” the shopkeeper said. “‘But I never asked, requested them to put my name as recommended leader because, you know, I am busy.” 

Farzana Shabbir, who lives in an apartment building a few blocks away, also learned of her appointment from THE CITY. Shabbir said she wanted to be removed from the county committee along with her adult daughter, who also confirmed that she was added to the committee without her knowledge.

“I’m not even aware of anything. This is the first time hearing from you,” Shabbir said. “I’m shocked. It’s disappointing though.”

Boatload of Proxies

The unsuspecting appointees THE CITY spoke with were part of a county committee nomination slate the Brooklyn Democratic Party establishment pushed through at a chaotic mass meeting in October. It was part of a successful effort to shut out a slate of would-be appointees assumed to be at odds with party leadership. 

Given this context, some of the new appointees fear their names, and votes, could be exploited for intraparty machinations without their say.

“These people probably are not even voting. So then who is making these rules?” said Shawaza Majeed, a nonprofit worker who lives in Kensington and said that she also was appointed without her consent. “What the hell is happening?” 

According to party insiders, for the county establishment to take advantage of these “ghost” appointees’ votes at contested meetings, party leaders need signed proxy forms transferring the unsuspecting committee members’ voting power to dependable allies.

“This is not a new thing. This has been going for decades,” said Diana Gonzalez, a former executive director of the Brooklyn Democratic Party. “Everybody knows County just wants to control meetings by walking in with a boatload of proxies.”

Gonzalez, now president of the dissident club, the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats, argued the party establishment will stop at nothing to secure the votes of “ghost” appointees.

“It’s not just that they’re appointed without their knowledge. It’s that when the county party needs to collect proxies, other people are forging their signatures,” she said. “So the person who put that list together, his or her work isn’t done. They have to forge proxies for the next county committee meeting.”

A spokesperson for the Brooklyn Democratic Party declined requests for comment about the “ghost” members. In April, THE CITY reported that party members allied with the establishment forged at least five residents’ signatures in a bid to block rivals campaigning to join the county committee. 

Prosecutor’s Probe Ongoing

A party leader allied with embattled party boss Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn later admitted that those forgeries — which prompted calls for criminal investigation — came from inside his camp. But Bichotte Hermelyn brushed off the falsified Board of Elections documents, noting to Politics NY that people “don’t look at signatures to see if anything was fraud or whatever.”

In May, THE CITY revealed that Bichotte Hermelyn allies in southern Brooklyn listed 20 people as county committee candidates on petitions without the residents’ knowledge or consent.

In June, Oren Yaniv, a spokesperson for Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, told THE CITY that the prosecutor’s office was reviewing the “ghost” candidates’ issue. He confirmed on Tuesday that the probe is still ongoing.

Some of the residents from Little Pakistan listed in the party establishment’s appointee slate confirmed they were cognizant of their new positions.

Their appointments, those committee members said, were part of a larger push by the community to get involved in local politics, which has long been dominated by Park Slope and Windsor Terrace residents from the whiter and wealthier half of the district.

In April, for example, a slate of Pakistani Americans ran for and became judicial delegates, successfully fending off challenges filed by local Assemblymember Robert Carroll, a Democrat. Carroll accused the machine of Trump-like power plays, while Bichotte Hermelyn countered with claims of xenophobia.

In a phone call, Kanwar Nabeel Ahmed, one of the appointees, noted that while many Pakistani immigrants vote, the community has not yet produced many elected representatives. 

“So we did our research and found that’s the first step,” Ahmed said. “We thought let’s start. Let’s see if we can get to mid-tier.”

Getting Involved

Standing outside his house in Kensington, Sharif Ahmad said joining the county committee was one of the best ways he could think of to be more “effective” in local politics.

“We are involved in the politics for a long time, not with the county committee,” said Ahmand. “But, you know what, in order for everyone to have participation in the politics, this is open for everyone.”

So far, however, the new appointees’ participation in local Democratic politics has been limited.

At the October party convention, when representatives for the two competing slates in the 44th Assembly District were asked to speak, no one came to the microphone to speak for the majority Pakistani American slate.

A few weeks later on a weekday evening at a half-empty Methodist church in Park Slope, the Assembly district held its official county committee meeting where residents prepped for the upcoming election and raised complaints about e-bikes, sewage failures, and ongoing construction projects.

But none of the new appointees showed up in person, and only one logged into the meeting through Zoom, according to the meeting’s official attendee roster.

For the appointees who did not know they were appointees, it was particularly hard to make a meeting they didn’t know they had a right to attend.

Majeed, the non-profit worker who was appointed without her knowledge, recalls getting a letter in the mail, possibly about the meeting, from local Democrats. But she threw it away, assuming it was junk mail.

“I obviously ripped it up because I did not sign up for this. This is not my responsibility,” she said. “It looked really shady too.”

Ali, the cash-transfer merchant who was also appointed without his knowledge, said he would like to join the county committee meetings, but needs someone to give him the date and time ahead of time since he works six days a week.

“If we need for Democrats, I can come. I can support,” he said. “If they inform me, I can join.”

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Yes, You Really Can Gift Your Little Kid a Cardboard Box - Lifehacker

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Photo: Sorapop Udomsri (Shutterstock)

Children can be fickle creatures. A toy they wanted more than anything else could lose its appeal in a matter of minutes. But through fads and trends, one item has kept kids entertained for generation: A (large) cardboard box.

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To a kid, a cardboard box that’s big enough for them to fit inside with a friend or sibling has the potential to be anything: A fort, a plane, a spaceship, an office cubicle, or their own personal library. It can also simply be a cardboard box that they sit inside while everyone else is stuck on boring couch or chairs.

That’s why we propose gifting your little kid a giant cardboard box—not as a replacement for their other present(s), but as something to add that doesn’t cost much, but they’re likely to enjoy. Here are some ideas.

How to gift a cardboard box to your young child

The first step is finding the right box. If you happen to be getting a new large appliance sometime very soon, then you’re all set. Otherwise, you can either buy a new cardboard box at a hardware, office supply, moving/shipping, or big box store, or hit up one of the places were you can often get them for free. Then assemble the box (if it comes flat).

Once you have the box, it’s time to fill it. It’s up to you what goes in there, but keep in mind that you’ll have to clean it up (i.e. avoid packing peanuts). Some options include: A special pillow and blanket for taking naps, some of those plastic balls you’d normally put in a ball pit, or a bunch of tissue paper. You can also throw in some art supplies or props they can use to transform their box, or a few books they can use as inspiration.

Finally, wrap up the box (a bow is an optional, but fun touch), and place it under the tree.

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The Meaning Behind the 1977 Supertramp Hit “Give a Little Bit” - American Songwriter

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Forty years before the Amazon holiday commercial featuring shipping boxes singing the song, Supertramp’s “Give a Little Bit” already started on its long legacy as a song of unity through unsteady times.

“The song is basically saying: just show you care,” said Supertramp singer and guitarist Roger Hodgson of the meaning. “Reach out and show you care.”

Meaning Behind the Song

Released on the band’s fifth album, Even in the Quietest Moments, in 1977, “Give a Little Bit” was a song about love and peace, and caring for one another.

“The song itself is such a pure, simple message that I think is really especially even more powerful today when the world has even more problems and it’s even more difficult sometimes to be compassionate and caring because we’ve got to put up all these barriers to survive,” said Hodgson in a 2012 interview. “That it’s a song that really inspires people to give a little bit, not give a lot, just give a little bit and see how it feels and show that you care, and I know for me, every time I play it in concert, there’s something about that song.”

Give a little bit
Oh, give a little bit of your love to me
I’ll give a little bit
I’ll give a little bit of my love to you
There’s so much that we need to share
So send a smile and show you care

I’ll give a little bit
I’ll give a little bit of my life for you
So give a little bit
Oh, give a little bit of your time to me
See the man with the lonely eyes
Oh, take his hand, you’ll be surprised

Love Is All You Need

Originally written in 1970 by Hodgson when he was 19 or 20, it would take him six years before he presented it to the band. Keyboardist Rick Davies is also credited on the track. 

“That time, the late ’60s, early ’70s, was a very idealistic time, one of hope, a lot of peace and love and the dream of the ’60s was still very alive and maturing,” said Hodgson. “The Beatles had put out ‘All You Need Is Love’ a year prior to that. I believed in love. It was always for love and just felt that was the most important thing in life.”

Covers and Commercials

Hodgson said that the song has taken on a life of its own from its use in charitable campaigns and covered by artists like the Goo Goo Dolls and commercials, including The Gap holiday commercial 2001, featuring artists Sheryl Crow, Liz Phair, Robbie Robertson, Shaggy, Dwight Yoakam and more singing along to the song.

Peaking at No. 15 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart, “Give a Little Bit” was also a favorite song of the late Princess Diana. Hodgson performed the song in a tribute to Diana in 2007 at Wembley Stadium, and also recorded the song on his 2010 album, Classics Live.

Ringo Starr included a live version of the song, performed with Hodgson on his Ringo Starr and Friends, recorded from the 2001 tour with his All-Starr Band.

Lasting Impression

Choosing to close his sets with the song, Hodgson said he hopes “Give a Little Bit” leaves everyone in a positive state.

“I look out and people just start smiling straight away and sometimes they hug each other and they start singing with me,” shared Hodgson. “It’s a very unifying song with a beautiful, simple message that I’m very proud of and really enjoy playing today.”

Give a little bit
Oh, give a little bit of your love to me
I’ll give a little bit
I’ll give a little bit of my life for you
Now’s the time that we need to share
So find yourself, we’re on our way back home

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