By FRANKIE EDOZIEN
October 28, 2008
Kampala, UGANDA
In the 1980s, when the disease dubbed ‘slim’ was first spotted in villages on the shores of Lake Victoria, it seemed a stretch that Uganda would one day get her hands around the pandemic that would go on to decimate much of Africa.
And yet for millions of Africans, a beacon […]
S e r v i c e - through - J o u r n a l i s m, Africa, Politics, Public Health and Culture
The New York Post
By FRANKIE EDOZIEN
February 18, 2008 — Supporters expect Barack Obama to pick up one or two delegates when primary results from New York City are recounted. The unofficial results were strikingly under-recorded in several districts around the city - in some cases leaving him with zero votes when, in fact, he had pulled in hundreds, Board of Elections officials have said.Those results gave Obama no votes in nearly 80 districts, including Harlem’s 94th and other historically black areas - but many of those initial tallies proved to be wildly off base.“Every election has problems, but in this case, all the problems seem to have been his,” said state Sen. Bill Perkins (D-Harlem). “He got all the zeroes and undercounting.“Some gross mistakes have been made. Very often, there are clerical errors. In this case, it was strictly with regards to Obama.” Perkins told The Post the issue is more than the “one or two delegates” that could be added to Obama’s tally, noting that if the results were accurately represented, there would not have been a “false momentum” for Hillary Rodham Clinton.
“It reflects the popularity and the weakness to her in her home state. It contributes to a false momentum,” he said.
A spokeswoman for the Board of Elections, Valerie Vasquez, stressed that the reported numbers are “unofficial.” Official results will be announced on Feb. 26.
THE NEW YORK POST
By FRANKIE EDOZIEN
February 14 2008 - Happy Valentine’s Day - here’s a condom.
In what’s become a Valentine’s Day tradition of sorts, city health officials will be at subway stations today to hand out the city’s free condoms in sleek new packages with the slogan: “Get some.”
“We want to give away as many condoms as people will use because we’re trying to make New York City an even safer place to have sex, and this is a powerful way to do it,” said Monica Sweeney, the Health Department’s assistant commissioner for HIV prevention.
The new condom wrappers are all black with white lettering and a smattering of rainbow colors. They feature the slogan “Get some” over the label “NYC Condom.”
Venues that will stock the free condoms will receive a new platinum-colored dispenser intended to draw people in to, well, get some.
The Health Department released its first official New York City condom last year, distributing about 3 million a month. The old packaging was inspired by the city’s subway logos with brightly colored circles and letters.
The new condom wrapper designs were a gift to the city from designer Yves Behar, of the San Francisco-based agency fuseproject.
“We gave out more than 36 million of them last year. I hope the fresh look will help even more New Yorkers protect themselves from infection and unintended pregnancy in 2008,” Sweeney said.
The free condom initiative is part of the city’s effort to reduce rates of sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancies.
The Big Apple remains the nation’s epicenter of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, with nearly 100,000 of New York’s 8.2 million residents infected.
Currently, about 900 establishments - some restaurants, bars and salons, but mostly nonprofit groups - offer the condoms, Sweeney said.
Condom-carrying street teams from the department will greet commuters today at subway stations, including Union Square, Penn Station and Times Square in Manhattan; Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn; and 149th Street and Grand Concourse in The Bronx.
February 14, 2008 — Under threat of a mayoral veto, the City Council yesterday overwhelmingly passed a bill forcing manufacturers to collect discarded flat-screen TVs, computers, monitors and other electronic items - and recycle them at their own expense.
“We think we have to have some teeth,” said Mike McMahon (D-SI).
“We don’t want to have teeth that are too sharp, but we think what we’ve done here is very reasonable,” he said before the 47-3 vote.
By next summer, manufacturers who sell in the Big Apple would have to present a recycling plan to Department of Sanitation officials for approval.
By 2012, manufacturers would have to recycle 25 percent of what they sell.
Companies that do not meet the standards by 2012 could be hit with a $50,000 penalty for each percentage point below the standard.
Administration officials are opposed to the mandatory recycling targets.
Mayoral spokesman John Gallagher said “it penalizes the wrong people - the manufacturers who can’t control whether customers recycle or not.”
Larry Mandelker, a lawyer for the New York Metropolitan Retail Association, which represents some retailers that manufacture their own products, agreed.
“We don’t have the ability to go into people’s homes and seize their products,” he said.
Speaker Christine Quinn said, “We are hoping that we will be able to resolve any outstanding problems in the time that exists between now and when the mayor would have to take action on the bill.”
February 7, 2008 — Egypt, Kuwait and Nigeria sit atop the heap of the city’s diplomatic scofflaws, which have racked up millions of dollars in unpaid parking tickets.
Egypt, which tops the list, still owes the Big Apple $1.9 million on 17,000 tickets - despite having added only nine tickets for $1,345 since the city reached a deal with the State Department in 2002 to collect the outstanding fines.
Under the agreement, the city gave extra parking spots to missions and consulates, while the State Department agreed to withhold aid from countries with tickets that have gone unpaid for more than 100 days.
Most nations began to cough up the dough, but the city is still owed $18 million for 161,683 tickets, including $1.2 million from Kuwait and $975,000 from Nigeria.
“It is our hope that countries that have not resolved their debt will pay the city what they owe, instead of losing US foreign aid,” said Marjorie Tiven, Mayor Bloomberg’s liaison to the United Nations.
February 4, 2008 — Pairing experienced nurses with first-time mothers in very low income communities has been so successful in reducing infant mortality that Mayor Bloomberg has decided to pump another $22 million to expand the program.
The Nurse Family Partnership (NFP) program places seasoned nurses with new mothers in Jamaica, Harlem, the South Bronx and parts of Brooklyn. The nurses begin working with pregnant moms, helping them until their child is 2. So far, 1,000 mothers have been served.
Officials are “going to help some of our youngest residents by expanding the successful Nurse Family Partnership,” Bloomberg said yesterday on his weekly 1010 WINS radio address.
“Now, we’re taking the Nurse Family Partnership to the next level by extending its reach to all five boroughs.”
The program’s nurses visit moms either weekly or every other week, and offer them guidance on breast feeding, parenting skills, preventive health practices, and even helping the moms make economic decisions.
The new money over the next three years will allow for up to 2,600 families to be served. Expectant women can simply call 311 to enroll.
The New York Post
By FRANKIE EDOZIEN
City Comptroller Bill Thompson said yesterday the city’s five pension funds have issued resolutions to 24 Fortune 500 companies, calling on them to revise anti-discrimination policies to include sexual orientation and gender identity. “A company can’t reach its full potential if it fails to protect its workforce,” Thompson said. “Equal treatment in the work place is a right, it is not a privilege,” added Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum. They made their comments at the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community center, which is celebrating 25 years of service in
AFRIcanmag.com
By Frankie Edozien
For tennis fans, the just concluded Australian Open Grand Slam tournament - the first major tournament this year in tennis, has been a revelation. On the men’s side, it was expected to be a contest between the world’s top two players and 127 participants to culminate the end of two weeks of play.
However, the number one tennis player, Roger Federer, was knocked out by 20-year old Novak Djokovic of Serbia who went on to win the entire tournament and as a result, is now ranked number three in the world. Upset, of course, but not earth shattering.
A young upstart, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, a Congolese ranked 38th in the world, obliterated the number two player Rafeal Nadal. That, however, was earth shattering as was his meteoric rise throughout the entire tournament.
Tsonga, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Mohammed Ali, had Australian fans cheering wildly for him as he knocked off higher ranked players to land himself in contention for his first ever tennis title at age 22.
The power server is the son of a French woman, and is fathered by a chemistry teacher, Didier Tsonga, who played international handball for Congo. The elder Tsonga was once declared the best handball player on the continent.
Tsonga’s remarkable son uses the French nationality; his succession of winners riveted Australian and French fans, all of whom embraced him. As the Melbourne Tournament went on, French sports papers’ featured his victory, including the defeat of each tennis giant he played. This earned him more Aussie fans as the tournament went on.
As Tsonga battled valiant in the finals, it was clear that he would not stop fighting until the end, making his parent extremely proud. The 15,000 fans in the audience never stopped cheering.
But Djokovic prevailed, making history by being the first Serb to win a Grand Slam, coming from behind to register a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7/2) victory over Tsonga in three hours six minutes.
After collecting his trophy, Djokovic had this to say “I know the crowd wanted him [Tsonga] to win more. That’s O.K. It’s all right. I still love you guys.”
According to Tsonga, having his father there was a dream come true, especially for the old man who has always wanted to see him on top. Tsonga continued “For me, it was very important, because of one of my father’s dreams - it was to come here, and I did it, so it’s good.” The crowd’s cheer was unbelievable. I had frisson [goosebumps].” In addition, Tsonga added that he was very proud of himself
His approximately $680,000 prize reward as runner up in the tournament values more than his career earnings of the last two years, $460,000. Maybe one day, he’ll play for Congo. Tsonga now leapfrogs from Number 38 in the world to 28 in the rankings.
via africanmag blog.
December 3, 2007 — City officials for the first time are specifically targeting gay and lesbian travelers, to help meet Mayor Bloomberg’s goal of drawing 50 million visitors to the Big Apple by 2015, The Post has learned.
NYC & Company, the city’s tourism arm, took out a three-page ad in the December/January issue of Out, a popular gay- and lesbian-interest magazine.
The agency also has launched a $30 million, 19-country campaign called “This is New York City.”
Commercials have also been placed on LOGO, a national cable network that tailors its programming to gay viewers. They will be aired over the coming weeks.
There will also be ads on similarly themed gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Web sites - and advertising will be stepped up next year around Valentine’s Day.
NYC & Company said it is reaching out to the demographic because it contains a large number of big spenders, usually with two incomes and no children. They are “highly desirable and considered a dream market due to high incidence of travel and discretionary income,” said one Bloomberg administration official.
“What we’re saying is, ‘This is New York, and it’s for everyone, whether you are a family or you’re just here with your lover.’ ”
Similar campaigns have been successful in Philadelphia, Chicago and Phoenix. Airlines and hotel chains have used advertising targeted at same-sex couples.
That the Big Apple had not previously advertised to gays and lesbians “is obviously an omission that has hurt the city,” Christine Quinn, the City Council’s first openly gay speaker, told the networking group Out Professionals last week.
“Tourism is money, and that’s a good thing so were working right now with NYC & Company to fix that omission and come up with a good . . . outreach plan, and we’d love for folks input and advice on that.”
The New York Post
By FRANKIE EDOZIEN
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who is backing Hillary Rodham Clinton for president, ordered that a public hearing today on a proposed resolution be canceled because it supported a legislative effort by Barack Obama, The Post has learned.
The hearing for a council resolution on behalf of Obama’s Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act was abruptly canceled late last week after Councilwoman Darlene Mealy (D-Brooklyn) had waited months to get it on the calendar.
Legally required public notification of the hearing had already been made, and staffers from Obama’s Senate office had been invited to testify.
But Mealy and staffers on the Council Government Operations Committee were told by Quinn’s aides it had been called off.
“This legislation is great legislation but the speaker felt that we should pull this bill because with Sen. Barack Obama’s name on it, it seemed like the City Council is endorsing him,” Mealy told The Post.
She said she was disappointed because she believes in the content of the bill, which aims to curb voter intimidation, is what matters - not “whose name is on it.”
Councilman Simcha Felder (D-Brooklyn), who chairs the Governmental Operations Committee, said he was “quite surprised to find out it was taken off the agenda.”
Jamie McShane, a spokesman for Quinn, said “the hearing would be rescheduled in due time.”
Meanwhile, Obama said yesterday that Clinton’s vote to authorize the Iraq war should give voters pause.
“What’s clear when you look at her statements and her approach to the problem, she was too willing to give the president a blank check,” he told The Associated Press.
“There’s been a little bit of revisionist history since that time, where she indicates she was authorizing only inspectors or additional diplomacy.
“I think everybody in Washington and people in New Hampshire and around the country understood this was a vote for war. The question is: Does she apply different judgment today?”
The New York Post
By FRANKIE EDOZIEN Post Correspondent
LONDON - Mayor Bloomberg wants to keep more of an eye on you.
After a demonstration here that included surveillance on his convoy, Bloomberg said he wants to follow London’s model and dramatically increase the number of closed-circuit TV cameras used in New York.
The mayor said Big Apple residents must accept that they are under constant watch by video cameras - and he called opposition to such surveillance “ridiculous.”
“In this day and age, if you think that cameras aren’t watching you all the time, you are very naive,” Bloomberg told reporters at London’s City Hall.
“We are under surveillance all the time” from cameras in shops and office buildings, “and in London, they have multiple cameras on every bus and in every subway car,” he added.
“We live in a dangerous world, and people want to have security cameras.”
London has one of the world’s highest concentrations of surveillance cameras. An estimated 4 million operate in Britain.
“It’s ridiculous, people who object to using technology,” Bloomberg said during a meeting with the London’s head of counterterrorism, Chief Superintendent Alex Robertson.
“The cameras on subways and on buses in this day and age, we are way behind and we really do have to catch up,” Bloomberg said.
“The MTA . . . just has to get us this kind of technology. Americans are too exposed and there are some people that don’t like cameras, but the alternatives are so much worse,” the mayor added, noting that he intended to discuss the matter with MTA officials.
Robertson said Londoners’ trust had to be gained first.
“You have to maintain public confidence and people believe it’s for good not for evil. We’re not spying on them and we’ll only use it for good and not for evil.”
“New Yorkers innovate a lot, but we don’t have a lock on all the great ideas,” Bloomberg said after a meeting with London Mayor Ken Livingstone.
“We will be happy to follow Ken’s footsteps or in this case bus tracks because the world’s great cities like London and New York do have to learn from one another to meet the challenges of our time.”
Meanwhile, Bloomberg also said he wants to look into a high-tech traffic-light control system - which can zero in on a busy intersection and change traffic flow by changing the pace of its lights.
