Trump Organization sues New York City for wrongful termination of contracts
Former President Donald Trump's company sued New York City Monday for allegedly wrongfully terminating contracts the Trump Organization had to operate city facilities.
NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio announced in January he was moving to terminate the contracts with the former president's company following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
"The City has no right to terminate our contract," Trump Organization officials said in a statement. "Mayor de Blasio's actions are purely politically motivated."
The lawsuit alleges wrongful termination of a long-term contract the company had to operate the city-owned golf course at Ferry Point in the Bronx, which wasn't due to expire until 2032.
The other contracts were set to expire earlier this year and were not renewed.
The Trump Organization pocketed about $17 million per year from operating two Central Park ice skating rinks, the Central Park Carousel and the Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point.
In the wake of the January 6 attack, several other companies, including the PGA Tour, canceled contracts they had with the Trump Organization. Trump himself was suspended from several social media platforms, and Facebook recently announced it would keep the suspension active until after the 2022 midterm elections.
Source-ABC
India & New Zealand still have hope in World Test Championship
All four results remain possible in the final of the World Test Championship after an engrossing fifth day between India and New Zealand in Southampton.
India closed on 64-2, leading by 32, meaning the Test will go into a sixth and final day because of time lost to the weather earlier in the match.
Earlier, New Zealand ground out a first-innings lead of 32 by turning their overnight 101-2 into 249 all out.
Up against high-class fast bowling, captain Kane Williamson dug in for 49 from 177 balls, while Kyle Jamieson and Tim Southee added important cameos of 21 and 30 respectively.
Southee then trapped Shubman Gill lbw for eight early in India's second innings and dismissed his opening partner Rohit Sharma in the same manner 15 minutes before the close when he horribly misjudged a leave and fell lbw, offering no shot, for 30.
It leaves New Zealand as the most likely winners, if they can bowl India out on the reserve day and leave themselves enough time to chase a target.
India could still win - but it would likely take a rapid acceleration in their scoring rate or an aggressive declaration from captain Virat Kohli, who is unbeaten overnight on eight.
Good weather is forecast for day six, but if no win is possible in a maximum of 98 overs, the two teams will be crowned joint winners.
Two spectators were ejected from the Hampshire Bowl on Tuesday after organisers received reports of abuse directed towards the New Zealand players.
Source-BBC
Bitcoin slumps to two-week low amid renewed worries of Chinese restrictions
The price of Bitcoin slipped to its lowest levels in weeks on Monday amid news of further clampdowns on cryptocurrency in China.
As of noon ET on Monday, Bitcoin was trading at approximately $32,291, a plunge of more than 6 percent over the past 24 hours and a steep fall from its all-time high of nearly $65,000 in mid-April, according to CoinDesk data.
On Monday, China’s central bank put out a statement urging against providing services for virtual currencies, according to China’s state-run news agency Xinhua. In the statement, the People’s Bank of China linked cryptocurrency use to heightened risk of illegal activity and money laundering and accused virtual currencies of disrupting normal economic activity.
The news comes approximately a month after three state-backed financial institutions in China issued a separate joint statement warning about the dangers of cryptocurrencies due to their volatility and recommending that members do not conduct virtual currency-related business.
Source-ABC
Scarlett Johansson confirms Black Widow movie will address what happened in Budapest
Scarlett Johansson was in the hot seat during her Monday appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where the show host pulled out all the stops to make her spill on some closely guarded Marvel secrets.
While the Oscar winner managed to dodge Jimmy Fallon's pressure campaign about what happens in her upcoming movie, Black Widow, she did relent on one thing: The franchise will finally address a mystery that was introduced all the way back in the first Avengers movie.
"You finally get to know what happens in Budapest," Johansson dished. For Marvel fans, the Budapest Operation was first mentioned in 2012's The Avengers, when Johansson's Black Widow and Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye discuss the super-secret mission only in passing. The mission remained a secret during Monday's interview, with Johansson admittedly too scared to go further into detail about it, remarking to Fallon, "I can't! I can't say anything!"
Johansson also acknowledged that Black Widow is something Marvel fans have demanded for nearly a decade.
"I'm nervous about it -- it's like a nervous excitement," Johansson said. "We've been sitting on this film for over a year and it's been ten years in the making."
Johansson said she's "super proud" of the film, adding, "It really is a great movie to see in the theater because it's super cinematic, explosive, loud, fun... passionate. It's really great. It's explosive!"
Black Widow arrives in theaters and will be available to watch to Disney+ subscribers with Premiere Access for an additional fee on July 9.
Marvel is owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News.
Source-ABC
PUBLIC FORECAST FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT TUESDAY 22ND JUNE 2021
A PERSISTENT HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE WILL CONTINUE TO DOMINATE WEATHER CONDITIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TODAY.
SPECIAL WARNINGS: BEACHGOERS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS SHOULD CONTINUE TO EXERCISE CAUTION DUE TO THE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS AT EAST AND SOUTHEAST BEACHES…RESIDENTS SHOULD LIMIT OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES AND REMAIN HYDRATED DUE TO HEAT INDICES EXPECTED NEAR THE TRIPLE DIGITS…
NORTHWEST BAHAMAS:
WEATHER: PARTLY CLOUDY, HOT AND HUMID WITH A FEW SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THE CHANCE OF ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON. MOSTLY FAIR AND HUMID WITH A FEW LINGERING SHOWERS AND POSSIBLE ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR GUSTY WINDS AND HIGHER SEAS IN OR NEAR HEAVY SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS.
WINDS: SOUTHEAST TO SOUTH AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS OVER OPEN WATERS.
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET OVER THE OCEAN.
TURKS & CAICOS:
WEATHER: PARTLY TO MOSTLY SUNNY, HOT AND BREEZY WITH THE SLIGHT CHANCE OF A FEW ISOLATED SHOWERS THIS AFTERNOON. MOSTLY FAIR, WARM AND A BIT BREEZY TONIGHT.
ADVISORY: A SMALL CRAFT CAUTION REMAINS IN EFFECT.
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS OVER OPEN WATERS
SEAS: 4 TO 7 FEET OVER THE OCEAN.
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE: 90°F 32° C HEAT INDEX: 103°F 39°C
OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURE: 77°F 25°C
SUNSET: 8:01PM SUNRISE: 6:21AM WED.
MOONRISE: 6:01PM MOONSET: 5:01AM WED.
LOW TIDE: 12:12PM HIGH TIDE: 6:41PM
LOW TIDE: 1:11AM WED. HIGH TIDE: 6:58AM WED.
WEATHER OUTLOOK: VARIABLE CLOUDINESS AND HOT WITH A FEW SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS…PARTLY TO MOSTLY SUNNY, HOT AND BREEZY WITH THE SLIGHT CHANCE OF ISOLATED SHOWERS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AS WELL AS THE TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS.
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK: THERE IS ONE AREA THAT IS PRESENTLY BEING MONITORED AT THIS TIME: 1) SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE INCREASED IN COVERAGE ASSOCIATED WITH THE TROPICAL WAVE LOCATED MORE THAN 500 MILES EAST OF THE WINDWARD ISLANDS. THIS DISTURBANCE HAS A VERY LOW CHANCE OF ONLY 30 PERCENT FOR TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION THROUGH 5 DAYS.
Elizabeth Riley appointed Executive Director of CDEMA
The Chairman of the Council of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), the Honorable Vincent Byron Jr, Attorney General and Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs, St Kitts-Nevis, is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Elizabeth Riley as Executive Director of the Agency with effect from July 1, 2021.
Ms. Riley, a Barbadian national, joined the team at the CDEMA Coordinating Unit in 2001 and has been acting as Executive Director since May 1, 2020. Prior to this she held the post of Deputy Executive Director since April 2012. She also acted in the Deputy position between 2009 and 2012.
As Executive Director, she will be responsible for the provision of overall direction and leadership to CDEMA. This will include implementing the organization’s mandate through programme management including strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation, resource mobilization, financial management, partnerships and stakeholder relationships, and corporate communications.
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Ms. Riley has over 20 years’ experience in disaster management at the regional and international levels in various capacities. At CDEMA, she has inter alia provided leadership for the Agency’s technical programming and provided strategic guidance in the areas of Preparedness and Response, Mitigation, Recovery, Education and Training and Information Management. At the operational level, Ms. Riley has played a leadership role in the coordination of regional responses to every major regional emergency event since 2004. Her field experience includes the leadership of CDEMA deployment teams in the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma (2017) and Dorian (2019). Ms. Riley is currently playing a leadership role in the coordination of the region’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, response to the eruption of the La Soufriere Volcano in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and the ongoing floods in Guyana and Suriname.
She has written, presented and published technical papers in disaster management and environmental management whilst attached to CDEMA and prior to that during her tenure at the University of the West Indies and the Ministry of Physical Development and Environment in Barbados. Ms. Riley has also lectured in Disaster Management at the University of the West Indies, Mona. At the international level, Ms. Riley has contributed to a range of technical advisory committees and is currently Vice-Chair of the ICG/Caribe Early Warning Systems Group of Experts on Coastal Hazards. She also sits on the Regional Advisory Group leading the implementation of the Regional Strategy for Latin America and the Caribbean on Disaster Risk Management in the Agriculture and Food and Nutrition Sectors.
Ms. Riley holds a M.A (Econ) in Environment and Development from University of Manchester, United Kingdom, BSc. (Hons) in Geography from the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica and a Masters Certificate in Results Based Monitoring and Evaluation and Information Systems from the University of Laval, Quebec.
CDEMA also takes this opportunity to welcome Ms Riley in her new position and wish her the very best in her tenure.
Jo-Ann Lawrence appointed as Community Preparedness Officer within the Disaster Management
The Ministry of Immigration and Broder Control is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Jo-Ann Lawrence to the post of Community Preparedness Officer within the Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies (DDME), with the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands as of 1st June 2021. Ms. Lawrence would be stationed in North and Middle Caicos.
Jo-Ann Lawrence holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography from the University of the West Indies, Mona. Her career profile consists of over seven (7) years of experience in the field of Disaster Management. Her journey began at the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) where she participated in various multi-hazard risk assessment projects and vulnerability studies in the Mitigation Planning and Research Division (MPRD). Her strengths include disaster risk management planning, vulnerability assessment, spatial analysis, research, cartography and GPS data collection.
Ms. Lawrence has made technical contributions to the development of disaster risks management plans such as the Ministry of Tourism’s Resort Area Disaster Risk Management Plan and the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (UN FAO) Agricultural Disaster Risk Management Strategy and Plan, both in Jamaica. She collaborated on community-based disaster risk management projects, coordinated and led training in GPS data collection activities, and carried out extensive research in the updating of the DesInventar Online database. Most recently, she assisted in the upscaling of Community Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation Plans for 14 communities across Jamaica.
Jo-Ann is an experienced cartographer and worked in the Surveys and Mapping Division at the National Land Agency (NLA) where she created and updated Topographic Master Map Series for Port Antonio and Negril communities (Jamaica). Her experiences also include developing community profiles, conducting hazard and facility vulnerability assessments, and organizing workshops/training events.
She is also proficient in GIS-based research and GPS mapping. She has experience applying these competencies to the mapping of vulnerable assets and emergency shelters throughout various Jamaican communities under the Adaptation Fund’s NegrilMulti-Hazard Risk Assessment (Climate Atlas component) and the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Hurricane Sandy Recovery Project, respectively.
Ms. Lawrence said “I am looking forward to working within the communities of North and Middle Caicos. I intend to enhance and cultivate a culture of readiness to disasters, both natural and human-induced by raising awareness on these events while simultaneously developing and executing comprehensive preparedness initiatives and activities. I am keen to reflect the DDME’s and by extension the Ministry’s goals and missions in these communities as it relates to the reduction of disaster impacts and risks.”
Honourable Arlington Musgrove commenting on the appointment of Ms. Lawrence stated “as the minister with responsibility for disaster management which includes all hazards that the TCI is vulnerable to, I would like to extend a warm welcome to Ms. Lawrence who is based in North Caicos, and I look forward to her contribution in enhancing disaster preparedness in the twin islands and by extension the Turks and Caicos Islands”.
PREMIER’S REMARKS: REBUILDING THE DREAM, A UNIFIED NATION
Burning deep inside every thinking person is the desire to achieve something great. The degree to which that desire supersedes self in the interest of the common good, determines the measure of a man.
An anonymous author penned the following words about the worth of a man as:
Not - How did he die? But - How did he live?
Not - What did he gain? But - What did he give?
Not - What did the sketch in the newspaper say?
But - How many were sorry when he passed away?
These are the things that measure the worth
Of a man as a man, regardless of birth; and by that measure our National Hero the Right Most Excellent Honourable James Alexander George Smith McCartney was a great man.
He was affable, companionable and devoid of pretense. He was humble, self-confident and did not kneel to the inequities of his time. Elected at 31, he was still an idealist at heart; a central desire of his, being the achievement of self-determination for the Turks and Caicos Islands.
At a time when the Turks and Caicos was a largely undiscovered ‘backwater town’ constrained by a colonial mindset, McCartney had a big vision for a constitutional reform that would be inclusive of the rights of all Turks and Caicos Islanders.
As a young man himself, he was particularly concerned about the education and provision of opportunities for the youths of these Islands and the economic and social development of everyone. It was that desire that resulted in his demise in May of 1980 at the young age of 34. Much has changed since then, but many of the issues remain, and in some measure they have intensified.
His courage and bold determination to change the country for a common good was the catalyst that resulted in a paradigm shift in the minds of the youths, that anything could be achieved. It was also a major influence on the country's economic and social progress over the last 41 years since his passing.
However, the dream of a self-confident, self-assured, fully self-governed and unified people, is yet to be attained. JAGS was not only a visionary who dreamed big, he was a consensus builder - a unifying force for good. It is now up to us who remain, and the next generations to reclaim his dream of inclusive growth and unity of purpose.
I am fortunate to have known our national hero and to have been a witness to his charisma and empathic leadership style. He started a nation building construction project that every leader since has contributed to, albeit in a world of rapid change over the last 41 years; but principles never change even when priorities do. Standing on his shoulders, I challenge us to honour the sacrifice of the Right Most Excellent Honourable James Alexander George Smith McCartney by fresh commitment to the principle of duty, above self and deference towards each other to forge a united self-determining and prosperous nation under God. May this proclamation remain as this memorial resting place of our national hero and forever remind us of the importance of keeping the dream alive.
Deputy Governor and CSA President Meet to Discuss Key Public Service Matters
Deputy Governor Her Excellency Anya Williams and President of the Civil Service Association Mr. Demarco Williams held a briefing session recently to discuss key matters pertaining to the TCI Public Service.
The Deputy Governor took the opportunity to brief the President on behalf of the CSA on Cabinet’s recent approval of the reinstatement of the Public Service Pension and Gratuity program and the next steps involving the design of the program, legislation and other work which will be done through consultation.
She also updated on the public service recruitment program for 2021/2022, the focus of the Professional Development Fund and Training Program as well as other public service matters.
The President advised the success of the CSA’s Incentive and Rewards Program where to date partnerships had been made with over 20 business establishments to provide discounted services to public servants and his efforts to introduce a rewards program for outstanding public servants.
The President also during the meeting took the opportunity to provide the Deputy Governor with her CSA Membership card.
Commenting on the meeting and the continued work of the CSA, Deputy Governor Williams said:
“It is always a pleasure to meet with the CSA to update on the work that my office is doing as well as to hear from them on their continued work and plans.
As we both have very important jobs to do in representing the best interest of the public service, it is important that we work together in partnership in doing so.
I commend the CSA on the work that they are doing, particularly as it relates to their rewards and incentive program.
As a member of the CSA myself, I encourage staff that have not yet done so, to register to be a part of the organization that continues to work on their behalf.”
CSA President Demarco Williams on commenting said:
“It has taken a tremendous amount of work not only to build the Association but more importantly for Civil Servants to regain confidence in the Association. I would like to applaud my team for their continued support and encourage Civil Servants to be a part of this Great Association because Together we surely can move mountains.
I would also like to Thank the Deputy Governor and her office for continuing to work in collaboration with the Association in the best interest of all Civil Servants. “
The parties agreed to continue their monthly meetings going forward to discuss the process and concerns of the civil service and to work on potential projects that both organizations could collaborate on.
Hon. Akierra Missick procures critical Communication and Heavy equipment in Preparation for the 2021Hurricane Season.
Minister of Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development, Hon. Akierra Missick, has procured much needed Communication and Heavy equipment in Preparation for the 2021 Hurricane Season.
The Minister responsible for Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development, Hon. Akierra Missick, is pleased to announce that the Public Works Department was in need of communication equipment to complete their disaster preparedness throughout the years, however this year, the Ministry was able to secure funding and procure the much-needed equipment.
The Ministry purchased ten (10) Satellite Phones, sixteen (16) Handheld Radios and four (4) Base Radios for the purpose of enhancing communication capabilities for MPPID/PWD during disaster, from AMP Global Strategies, to aid in the preparations for Hurricane Season 2021The Satellite Phones and Handheld Radios have already arrived on island.
In addition, the Public Works Department has also issued a tender for Heavy Equipment, which is much needed to assist in many aspects during disaster, including removal of debris and clearing of pathways, during the Hurricane Season. Some of the items were already delivered to the Ministry and the remaining equipment will be delivered at the end of August.
The Hon. Akierra Missick commented, “ As the Minister of Public Works, and a survivor of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, it is not lost on me that the loss of connectivity post-disaster between the Islands can delay the activating of TCIG’s recovery plan. By tooling the Public Works Department with this equipment, we are in a better position to communicate with our team members across the Islands and provide another layer of support to our colleagues in DDME.”