Speaker Silver News Today

In conversation: Jonathan Dienst and Asha Rangappa on assessing threats to national security and the nature of criminal and counterintelligence investigations

From the blog of Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi at The Times of Israel

Race and Corruption    

One of the most powerful people in New York state Assembly history is being remembered for championing progressive legislation, but also for the corruption conviction and legal battle that marked his final years.

Some believe this is payback for Silver’s early support for Clinton during the 2008 nomination fight.

As mentioned in our “Morning Reads,” Mayor de Blasio is announcing this morning that the city will be spending $130 million to improve small parks in low income neighborhoods. The mayor’s office has not released the complete funding list just yet, but we have some additional details about the impact on the Lower East Side. […]

Luther Gulick Park; October 2013. A nearly five-year-old effort to revitalize a neglected public space on the Lower East Side is receiving a big boost.  State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver announced today that $2.5 million has been awarded to Luther Gulick Park for its restoration.  The new funding comes from the state Department of Transportation. Community activists formed an organization known as the Friends of Gulick Park several years ago. They have held numerous community-building act...

More to come following the mayor’s press conference… UPDATE 12:45 P.M. For more details about the mayor’s new Community Parks Initiative, click here.  A few points that caught our eye: “More than 70 new seasonal recreational programming and maintenance staff will activate and improve parks in all Community Parks Initiative communities.” “NYC  Parks will rebuild 35 community parks. Each of these capital – or major physical improvement – projects will be developed with communit...