4 Burst results for "Jimani Williams"
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"jimani williams" Discussed on Democracy Now! Audio
"Track to be approved. Voters in the district of columbia have voted in favor of decriminalizing the use of so-called magic mushrooms and other psychedelic substances. We'll have more on the elections. After headlines with john nichols president biden and other world leaders have departed glasgow and the un climate summit is day three. Usher send closed door. Negotiations on how to combat the climate catastrophe on tuesday ninety countries agreed to slash methane emissions by thirty percent by twenty thirty. This is president by announcing the us commitments were proposing to rules one through our environmental protection agency. This going to reduce methane losses from new and existing oil and gas pipelines and one through the department of transportation to reduce wasteful and potentially dangerous leaks from natural gas pipelines. Climate activists slammed biden for making climate pledges while his administration continues to advance plans to sell oil and gas leases on us public lines. Meanwhile indigenous leaders questioned commitments from over one hundred countries to end deforestation by twenty thirty. This is toma tara. Pong who leads. The union of indigenous women of the brazilian amazon knows no. Was i dot ca public. We don't have yet a public policy towards the indigenous peoples in brazil. That make sure it happens for real. And they will only for certain stop deforestation. If there's the demarcation of our indigenous lands man without demarcation there's no way to stop deforestation in other news from cop twenty six the us. The european union and other wealthy nations have announced a new deal to provide eight and a half billion dollars to south africa to help at decommission. Its coal plants and invest in renewable energy south africa's one of the largest coal producers in the world. We'll go to glasgow for the latest from the climate summit later in the broadcast and speak with. Kumi naidoo who is from south africa. The centers for disease control back the pfizer cove nineteen vaccine for children age. Five to eleven opening up the to dose shot to an additional twenty. Eight million kids will receive one third of the dosage of people twelve and older. The ethiopian government has declared a six month nationwide state of emergency as it says. It's preparing to defend the capital at asaba from to grind rebel forces that threaten the city would be overrun within quote months. If not weeks. The state of emergency allows the government to impose curfews and roadblocks and for the ethiopian military to take over certain areas of the country. The government's also called on citizens to take up arms against rebel fighters. This comes as the un has condemn human rights atrocities and covered by a joint investigation into the war in the tigray region. The un said all parties involved in the conflict including forces from eric trae have committed violations of international human rights. Some of which could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity this includes sex judicial killings torture sexual and gender based violence. The un also accused ethiopia's government of attempting to limit the investigation in occupied east jerusalem. Four families from the shake charan neighborhood officially rejected deal from the israeli supreme court. That would delay their addiction but force them to cede ownership of their houses and pay rent to israeli settlers who claim the homes as there's this activists and affected shakes. Your resident occurred reject because we believe in our costs and our right to our home and country. Despite that we are not getting any guarantees to support our steadfastness as palestinians in the occupied jerusalem from any side organization following the rejection of the deal. The israeli supreme court could order. The families evicted within weeks. And may the plant expulsions helped spark the latest war in gaza galvanized international support for palestinians facing dispossession from settlers groups and the state of israel facebook announced. It's shutting down. Its facial recognition system deleting face scan templates of over a billion people by december. Facebook will not however get rid of the algorithm which powered the facial recognition technology called deep. Face it also did not rule out using such technology in the future. The move comes amidst mounting scandals for facebook which recently changed its corporate name to meta the aclu. Welcome the move calling it a good start adding quote now. It's time for enforceable rules that prohibit companies from scanning our faces without our consent looking at you congress. Aclu said democrats said they reached a deal to help rein in prescription drug costs. Part of the build back better act. The provisions would allow the government to negotiate. Prices for medicare prescriptions for the first time but drug companies would have patent exclusivity for nine to twelve years before the government could begin those negotiations. The legislation would also ban pharmaceutical companies from raising prices quicker than inflation and cap out of pocket expenses for seniors on medicare at two thousand dollars per year. The senate majority leader chuck schumer announcing the deal. Tuesday prescription drug pricing has consistently been a top issue for americans year after year including the vast majority of both democrats and republicans. Who want to see a change because they simply cannot afford their medications in a long fought victory for lgbtq plus rights. Same sex partners will have access to survivors benefits if their partners die before they were able to legally marry or they did not meet a threshold being married at least nine months on monday. The justice department and the social security administration dropped to trump administration challenges to lawsuits that granted. Same sex couples in both those categories the right to social security survivors benefits. A council lambda legal which brought the lawsuit celebrated the news saying quote. No one should continue to pay the price for past discrimination and over ten thousand john. Deere workers will remain on strike after a majority last night voted to reject the latest contract proposal negotiated by their union. Workers are fighting for better wages and pension plans. They've been on strike for nearly a month. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now democracy now dot org the warrant piece report mainly goodman and new york joined by democracy now coho swung than solids in new brunswick jersey high on miami and welcome. Tolliver listens views across the country and around the world. Well in a blow to democrats republicans have won. The governor's race in virginia with the wealthy private equity executive glenn. Young can defeating former governor. Terry mcauliffe can campaigned in part by vowing to support so-called parent's rights which has become a catch all phrase to describe right wing opposition to vaccine mask mandates trans rights for students and the teaching of critical race theory. Young can spoken victory party in chantilly virginia. My fellow virginians. This is our moment. It's our moment for parents or grandparents aunts uncles for neighbors to change the future of virginia's children's lives to change their virginia journey. It's our time to turn that vision into a reality. Meanwhile in new jersey. The governor's race is too close to call as republican jack. Ciccarelli has a slight lead over incumbent. Democrat philip murphy. To talk about the governor's races we're joined by john nichols he's the nation's national fares correspondent author of a number of books including the fight for the soul of the democratic party. So let's start in. Virginia john talk about the significance of the republican victory for governor about young kids campaign. And then we'll move to new jersey where it's clearly too close to call. The main democratic strongholds have not been counted yet. That's precisely right. Amy and thanks for having me. Let's start in virginia. And i think that that the first thing to point out is of course. This is an off year election in which there's clearly an overlay from what's going on in washington and virginia. Northern virginia particular is suburban washington. So there's a lot of consciousness about where the by administration is app and things of that nature once we put that in its place then. I think it's important to understand what happened in virginia and that is that virginia democrats chose to nominate. What they thought was a very safe candidate. Terry mccullough the former governor. He beat a number of other candidates in the democratic primary with loest of democratic leadership. Saying well this is the easiest way to retain the governorship. But mccall ran What can best be. Understood is an unfocused. Bumbling campaign in many in many instances on the other hand republicans nominated a candidate who was untested Glenn yongin but who was very sophisticated very disciplined in his approach and what he did was at once embraced donald trump's constituency. I mean actually clearly except trump's support and clearly communicate that that he was on board with a lot of where trump was at but at the same time in his overall messaging Seek to identify himself with just enough distance that he could appeal to folks who don't necessarily like donald trump now. It's notable in the exit polls. He got almost one in five of his votes from people who said they don't approve of trump so he was getting people who had undoubtedly voted for joe biden in two thousand twenty to come over. How did he do that. Did it with a combination of sort of soft messaging about his actually berry right wing proposals and very right wing stance on the issues and a dog whistling use of the issue critical race theory that the republicans have developed and this is obviously an effort to suggest that parents should be far more control curriculums in schools and frankly That they should be able to dictate a curriculum. That doesn't acknowledge much of the history of the united states. At least soft-pedals it and y'all can do that. Very sophisticated ways. There is simply no question that what he did in virginia will become a template or republicans in other states. But there's also one council while there's a lot of focus on critical race theory and how. It was played in virginia in school board races around the country. One in my own state of wisconsin where school boards were threatened with recall a on critical race issues on all this. In many cases the school board members one there one fights they weren't recall and one of the reasons for that is that in for instance that wisconsin case they directly confront the issue. They they said look this is. This is a republican. Political strategy is a an attempt to dog whistle into exploit in virginia. I think the message from the democrats on that was quite muddled. In many cases they did try to confront in some ways. But i don't think that they they did very well ended the day if i had to divide up with the impacts were unprepared. I would say that the quality the character of the young campaign did benefit but also the biggest influence there in my opinion is the fact that the democrats in washington have seen extremely chaotic even dysfunctional in recent months. And the truth is they control the white house and the congress. And you can't fail to deliver on your promises and then expect to win elections and that's a big message for democrats but john. I wanted to ask you putting. Virginia in context the with new jersey as well. Because i think it's likely that Phil murphy is going to win the new jersey race even though he's slightly behind right now. Only because as amy mentioned a lot of the democratic strongholds including camden which is had the lowest returns so far are likely to push him over nonetheless. He was expected to win by much more than if he does become victor so it does seem to me that at least in these races where you essentially had corporate democrats in both phil murphy. And terry mccall at running that the ability their ability to make the race against trump rather than for themselves like suffered greatly. And i'm wondering your sense of a given the fact that the right wing populism of trump is still a searching and a lot of parts of the country what this what this means for on four elections next year. I think it means a lot. And i think your analysis is very strong my centers. That murphy will win in new jersey. And i think it's important to to note. That murphy ran a much more focused campaign. I'm frankly more progressive campaign on message and frankly on some of his record. Then you had from caller ultimately. I think murphy's probably gonna win by a reasonably comfortable margin. Not a big big landside or anything like that but reasonably comfortable when all votes are counted. But still it's much closer than it should be by by any reasonable measure. And then i'd also throw in pennsylvania supreme court race a statewide race in a battleground state. Where the republican appears to prevail. And so what you see from a number of states where got statewide races where they really are tests of kind of where people are going to vote and you know kind of where the pattern is in each case. The republicans prevailed. I think that again. There's two things in play here number one. What you point out. The democratic party continues especially did this in virginia. They continue to reject candidates of the future And these are women. People caller Progressives in favor of candidates of the past candidates who often are have held office before holding office and are very predictable and at at this moment at this bowl tall moment. That doesn't work very well. Secondly however you do have this national. Overly and. I think it's a big deal. The democrats have since mid-summer sent a signal of. Yeah we've got lots of big plans. We've got lots of big goals. We control the presidency. We control the house and the senate but we're not delivering. We can't get it together. We can't even get our own our own people together and it's very easy to blame joe manchin and to blame kerr cinema and they deserve a lot of blame on this. But they're also has to be a recognition that the biden administration democratic leaders in congress did not follow the advice of senator bernie singers the senate of budget committee chair and of congressional progressive caucus chair millage john-paul who said look you need to go out and sell this program. You need to talk about it in big bold ways across the country so people really know everything that's in this bill back better agenda and they know what's at stake. They didn't do that. They relied on. Kind of insider predictable. back door behind the scenes negotiations and and it didn't work. President biden flew off to europe with a framework that joe mansion didn't support and so at the end of the day. Democrats are in a situation where they promised a lot that they have not delivered and you cannot fail to deliver and expect to win elections. We're gonna turn to some of the mayor or races Several closely watched ones in buffalo mayor. Byron brown has claimed victory in as write in campaign against india walton. Who shocked brown in june by winning the democratic primary. She was attempting to become the first socialist to lead a big city in decades here in new york city and i want to also way and unnecessary. Rick adams easily won the mayoral race becoming just the second african american to head. The nation's largest city in minneapolis Mayor jacob fry is the in the lead after the first round of the cities ranked choice vote and in boston. Michelle woo has made history by becoming the first woman. The first person to color elected as mayor. She spoke tuesday night. We are ready to become a boston for everyone ready to boston. That doesn't push people out but welcomes all who call sitting home. We're ready to be a boston. Where all can afford to stay. In to thrive and yes. Boston is ready to become a green new deal. City green new deal city says the new mayor elect of boston. Michelle woo protege of massachusetts senator elizabeth. Warren john nichols the mayoral races around the country. Though i'm glad you focused on michelle woo there. I think her victory is an incredibly instructive and it hasn't been covered enough. A by much of the national media show who ran as a progressive. She started early to build a grassroots. Multiracial multiethnic coalition. She focused on big issues with big messages and she won big. She did very well in the primary and general election prevailed. I think there's a lot of lessons there as regards our politics because remember. Boston is not a city that that has had a lot of diversity in its mayors tended to be irish retaliation of you know from irish italian background of for generations and also. It's a city where he's pretty talk very competitive politics. And so there. You see a elizabeth warren progressive prevail talking about the green new deal talking about economic and social racial justice talking about affordable housing. So it's doable. And i think that's an important message in the mail races in general Democrats prevail but you saw very different types of democrats prevailed very different messages some like new very progressive. Some like eric adams in new york who have been very critical at least of of democratic socialists. And then up in buffalo. You have this situation where. It's really a notable situation buffalo where india while won her primary barron square. She built a grassroots campaign. Not a lot of money but she had a lot of message. she's very very engaged with housing issues. A lot of issues that are vital the buffalo she got the nomination and then two things happened number one. The leadership of the state democratic party in new york including the chair of the state democratic committee governor hogan and others failed to endorse her. They failed to come in and give her strong backing. Secondly a lot of very very wealthy and powerful interests in buffalo and outside of buffalo cord. Money into byron brown's campaign here is more than one point. Five million we don't know what the final total will be. Flooded the tv Airwaves with ads. That you know obviously very spurt of him but also a lot of messaging. That was very negative about india walton. And and you really your situation here where the somebody won the democratic nomination but didn't get the level of support from the democratic party that that might have allowed her to prevail. Why i wanted ask you before we move on about eric adams covered for years police. Captain brooklyn borough president State legislator and now he has become the second african american Who will become mayor of new york Talked about being learning disabled wept when he went to the polls yesterday Holding his mother's picture who just died was beaten by police and arrested as a young person took on the new york. Police department the significance of his win though against the de-fund movement. I think as i said before. I've known eric adams since he was just a police sergeant. More than thirty years ago. I worked with him closely over the years as a reporter and i think that the his victory and i'd like to also talk to john nichols in terms of what's happened within the awards in minneapolis. What happened with the minneapolis. Police as well seems to indicate that a lot of african american and dottino voters are not as a in sync with the The the progressive left on issues of police reform. And i think that the because the african american and latino about is such a big portion of the democratic party. I think folks are going to have to come to some realization of what is possible within a capital system and within a situation where a corporate democrats also wielded enormous influence and finances in terms of elections. And i'm wondering. John whether it you see that with the exception of michelle rule out of the results of this time around we're not only a rebuke of the the more corporate democrats but also To some degree review of the more leftwing proposals of Progressives as well are you saw direct test of minneapolis where a proposal to really change the the policing structure that city from a more traditional one with frankly a four points by very right wing union to a public safety model and that lost. It didn't lose by a massive landslide. I did lose and so at the end of the day. I think that there is evidence that there's resistance here. But i would emphasize i think this is important to recognize that if you look at it all of these races you see an acknowledgement of the need to change policing. It is a debate about how to do so and about message that. But i would be careful about saying that. That there's a full on rejection of some of the the left's messages about the need for change in leasing. I think there is still a constituency for that and a base for that it just. I do think that there's going to be some wrestling with it and democrats. Frankly are going to have to figure out how to talk about the need to change policing away that can build out confidence and build out constituencies. I will note. Also it's just important to know in new york city. Well eric adams won big and for variety of reasons that jimani williams and brad lander both berry berry progressive candidates won the other two citywide races by equally large margins. And so i think that that we can take. We take many signals from this election. And i do think we should pay attention. Not just to the top level winds but some of those winds down ballot as well. We want to thank you for being with us. John nichols nations. National affairs correspondent author of a number of books including the fight for the soul of the democratic party. Next up we go to glasgow to the un summit to look at the fight against big coal from south africa. Puerto rico with kumi naidoo and ruth santiago and leading filipino. Youth climate activists mitzi ten..
Democracy Now! Audio
"jimani williams" Discussed on Democracy Now! Audio
"Crime up that something has to be done. I think part of the reason why the jail population and on rikers island increased about forty percent between last summer when we were at all time lows of about thirty eight hundred people to about six thousand people just a month ago is because of this fear mongering and inaccurate rhetoric around bail reform criminal justice reform vis-a-vis crime rates there. We are not at all time highs in terms of crime and public safety threats in new york city or new york state. Actually we are on par with twenty teens historic lows in terms of crime rates but it is true and i think we need to talk about and acknowledge that murders were up and shootings a gun. Crimes related to murders two. Were up In twenty twenty and twenty twenty one as compared to twenty nineteen all time lows. They're still far below what it was like in your city in the ninety s. And i'm sure coca can can recount what it was like in the nineties or even the to the early two thousands so we are still at very low crime rates across crime categories. But it's true that in the last few years gun. Crimes and murders have gone up compared to twenty one thousand nine hundred twenty eighteen which were very very low and so we need to address those again this is about solutions and what we know is throwing people in jail is not a long term solution to gun crime and murders in fact we need to be taking our investments. Some of the two and a half billion dollars we spend on the department of correction on on jailing people on rikers island. We need to take a big chunk of that money to invest in evidence based solutions to public safety issues that means credible messengers and violence interrupters and the kinds of in the community programming where we've seen Eighty six percent drops in a gun crimes and homicides in places like richmond california. We've seen it here. In new york city in crown heights where after credible messengers violence interrupters went into the community that they had lower rates in that community of gun crimes and shootings specifically and shooting related homicides as compared to the nypd precinct adjacent to them. We do have are. We just have thirty seconds. But i wanted to go back to jimani williams. The new york city public advocate. You formed an exploratory commission. An exploratory committee to run for governor. What would you do differently to the conversation going on. We have to have once acknowledged spikes in crime. But we also need leaders who're gonna guide new yorkers through the facts of what's happening and not feed into the fearmongering that was done thirty years ago at one. The cracker damage happened and didn't actually solve the problem and people apologized thirty years later when we look at where we were at two thousand eighteen and twenty nineteen. The same people said we needed to lock up more black and brown people even at as at historic lows. I want to go back to twenty ten and twenty eleven when we toll folks which is the number where now that we had better way of dealing with this violence and from two thousand ten twenty seven to two thousand eighteen. We will fought all the way to becoming the safest city we had ever been an safest in the nation. We have but. I wanna thank you so much for being with us and this conversation will continue germany williams new york city public advocate. Considering a run for the new york governorship. I wanna thank goodness. Isa aboard was formerly jailed at rikers and bedford. Hills and jillian harris calvin director of the greater justice new york program at the institute of justice as we move now to our final segment. This is democracy now we end today. Show looking at the ongoing protests. That's taking place in new jersey. The people's organisation for progress or pop is leading sixty seven mile march to the capital. Trenton to demand the new jersey legislature. Pass legislation to hold police accountable. The march began a week ago. In montclair wraps up saturday and trenton joining us now from the side of the road is larry ham chair of the people's organisation for progress his joining us on the road. He heads to princeton for today's leg of the protest march. Can you talk about your demands. Larry morning amen. Thank you for having me on. Yes this is. The long march for justice. The march to trenton for police accountability for social justice and economic progress. We're marching to draw attention to the issue of police brutality and we want the state legislature to pass bill a forty six fifty six. Which is the police review boards with subpoena power bill. We want that. Bill passed because that will enable municipalities to have police review boards with subpoena power. Which the f. o. p. and the police organizations have been fighting because they don't want civilian oversight. We're marching for an end to voter suppression. We support the john. Lewis voting rights act. But we also want same day registration here new jersey. We're marching for reparations for african-americans for the enslavement of our ancestors. We're calling on the legislature to pass bill a seven eleven which would establish reparations commission similar to. Hr forty the national reparations bill in congress which we also support and we're marching for economic progress. We feel that seven dollars and twenty five cents. Federal minimum wage is a slave wage. And we want an immediate doubling of the federal minimum wage to fifteen dollars an hour and we. We also want free college for young people and the abolition of student debt. Those are some of our demands. What is the response of the governor of the legislature. Well it's it's not been a great response off from the legislature because the police review boards. Bill which is at the top of our list has wound. Its way through. The legislative process was released from committee. The only thing remaining is the speaker of the assembly to posted for vote and the president of the senate to post the senate version as twenty nine sixty three four vote. They have refused to do so for months after they posted for voted then has to be signed by the governor. Now this is interesting because it came up as an issue in the gubernatorial debate that was held just a couple of days ago and the the governor's response was not the strongest that we anticipated. And so this is why we're marching with marching to draw attention to the issue and the put the pressure on the state leadership to pass this bill because police brutality is a real serious problem here in the state of new jersey the role of street protests larry. You ran against cory booker for senator in new jersey Yet.
WNYC 93.9 FM
"jimani williams" Discussed on WNYC 93.9 FM
"NPR NEWS Washington You're listening to NPR knees. This is W. N. Y. C in New York. I'm David. First New York attorney general test. James is suing the city of New York and the Police department and calling for a court to monitor how the NYPD handles protests going forward. James says Police Commissioner Dermot Shea had many opportunities to reform how his department handled civil unrest, but instead double down on aggressive tactics that violate the constitution. It did not train. It did not supervise. It did not stop found more than 155 incidents of excessive and unreasonable force against demonstrators since last summer. She says. Without court intervention, the department quote is likely to continue harming New York residents. Neither the and wiped nor the mayor's office has yet responded to our request for comment. City public advocate Jimani Williams is calling on Mayor de Blasio and Governor Cuomo to unify the chaotic computer system that has made it challenging for people to sign up to get vaccinated. Williams says that since the state dramatically expanded the number of people eligible ship for shots earlier this week there have been widespread reports of system crashes. We have to make sure that people who need it the most Getting it and not missing out because they can't Patrick Technology test of being put forth on every level of government. City and state leaders acknowledge the problem and say they are.
WNYC 93.9 FM
"jimani williams" Discussed on WNYC 93.9 FM
"Coning 10 House Republicans book their party and voted yesterday to impeach President Trump on the charge of inciting an insurrection. One explains his vote. This is one of those Moments where the politics of the moment is completely overshadowed by the gravity of history that's gonna look down on. I'm David. First it's morning edition from NPR and W N. Y. C. We'll talk with central New Jersey Democrat Tom Malinowski about his vote to impeach again. Black officers around the country. You're speaking out about the riot at the U. S Capitol last week, and Thrasher the magazine for Skateboarders by skateboarders turns 40. We can fit 40 candles on a skateboard shaped cake, right? It's Thursday, January 14th. The news is next. Lie from NPR news on Corvo Coleman. Now that the House of Representatives has impeached President Trump the article of impeachment is waiting to be transmitted to the Senate. NPR's Windsor Johnston reports. The case is not expected to be tried in that chamber until after President elect Joe Biden is sworn into office. 10. Republicans voted with House Democrats to charge President Trump with incitement of an insurrection for his role in last week's violent attack on the Capitol building. Congressman Adam Kinzinger, who was one of them tells NPR that there's a significant chance that the Senate will vote to convict the president in the Senate. I think after the insurrection, only six or seven senators voted to object. The election is still at 130 in Congress. Politics infect the house a lot more said. You know, I think there's going to be people regretting their no vote. As more information comes out. The next step in the process is transmitting The article of impeachment to the Senate, then preparation for a trial. Winter Johnston. NPR NEWS Washington House Democrats are instituting new security measures and fines relating to the use of masks and metal detectors following last week's attack on the U. S. Capitol. NPR's Susan Davis has more. At least three Democrats have tested positive for Corona virus and sheltering in place last week during the attack with Republicans who refused to wear masks. Democrats are instituting a new find system for lawmakers who refused to wear masks on the House floor, $500 for the first defense and $2500 for the second. Democrats have also put up metal detectors outside the House chamber. Several Republicans objected and refused to use them. Speaker Nancy Pelosi then announced the House will vote on a new role that would find lawmakers who refused to comply $5000 for the first defense and $10,000 for the second and he finds will be docked from a lawmaker's paycheck. Susan Davis NPR NEWS Washington President elect Joe Biden will speak tonight about his economic rescue legislative package. He says his proposal would pay for covert 19 vaccinations and provide immediate and direct relief to working families and communities in the pandemic. Biden says the reason coronavirus relief package passed by Congress is just a down payment and that he intends to pursue further relief measures after he is sworn into office. A team of World Health Organization scientists has arrived in the Chinese city of Wuhan. They're currently in quarantine, NPR's Emily Fang reports They'll spend about two weeks in Wuhan investigating the origins of the Corona virus. 10 person team arrived in Wuhan Thursday morning China time They will do 14 Days Quarantine before setting out to do their investigations around the city and conjunction the Chinese scientists. Some members of the W H O team had already been en route to China last week, but were turned back after not receiving visas on time. China said it was because negotiations over the team's itinerary had not finished NPR's Emily Fang reporting This is NPR. And they says W When my C in New York four minutes after seven o'clock Good morning. I'm David first. Mostly cloudy today with the higher 47 this afternoon. It's 39 degrees now in Central Park. City public advocate Jimani Williams is calling on Mayor de Blasio and Governor Cuomo to unify the chaotic computer system that has made it challenging for people to sign up to get vaccinated. Williams says. Since the state dramatically expanded the number of people eligible for shots earlier this week, there have been widespread reports of system crashes. We have to make sure that people who need it the most are getting it and not missing out because they can't pass the technology test of being put forth on every level of government. Currently, people age 65 older are eligible to be vaccinated, along with several categories of essential workers and people with underlying health conditions. City and state leaders acknowledge the problem and say they're working on it. Another four million New Jerseyans will be eligible to receive the covert vaccine starting today. W N. Y sees Carinae reports Anyone 65 years or older or between the ages of 16 and 64 with medical conditions can now be vaccinated. But the list of what qualifies as a chronic health condition is broad and includes people with cancer, heart disease or diabetes. Also eligible the state's two million smokers. Health Commissioner Judy Person, Kelly says vaccination sites won't be asking for any proof of illness. No documentation. Of the medical condition or your age will be required, particularly says those eligible must make an appointment. She says. People who are pregnant or immuno compromised, consign up but should check with their doctors. Andrew Yang is officially running for mayor of New York. The tech entrepreneur and former presidential candidate officially launched his campaign last night with a video directed by filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, Ape. Video highlights the years Yang spent as a young adult in Morningside Heights, his New York sports fandom and the family that he and his wife are raising in the city. Will reopen intelligently to revive our incredible culture. Maybe we can even save the Knicks..