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Athlos NYC drew many stars on and off the track to Icahn Stadium at Randall’s Island in New York City for a one-of-a-kind event that saw 36 women compete in six track and field contests. The event, held last Thursday and formerly known as the 776 Invitational, was created by Alexis Ohanian, best known as the co-founder of Reddit and the husband of tennis icon Serena Williams.

Among the well known figures in attendance was television producer/screenwriter/director Shonda Rhimes, actress Lupita Nyong’o, hip-hop artist and reality television personality Flavor Flav, actress Marsai Martin; co-host of the “7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony & The Kid Mero” podcast The Kid Mero, and four-time Olympic gold winning athlete and television sports commentator Sanya Richards-Ross.
Hip hop legend and world-renowned DJ, D-Nice, created the vibe before, between and after the six events, playing an eclectic mix of music for the diverse crowd of about 5,000. Three-time Grammy Award-winner Megan Thee Stallion closed out the event with a 30-minute performance.

Sprinter Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, who was born in Charleston, South Carolina, competed collegiately for the University of Kentucky and took home gold in the women’s 100-meter hurdles at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, won the first race of the meet, the women’s 100-meter hurdles, in a time of 12.36, defeating Jamaica’s Danielle Williams, Charisma Taylor from the Bahamas, and Americans Alaysha Johnson, Masai Russell, and Tonea Marshall.

Marie Josée Ta Lou from the Ivory Coast won the women’s 100 meters in a time of 10.98, defeating Zoe Hobbs from New Zealand, Great Britain’s Daryll Neita, and Celera Barnes, Candace Hill and Brittany Brown of the United States.

The Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino captured first place in the 400 meters, clocking 49.59, besting Lieke Klaver from the Netherlands, Salwa Naser from Bahrain, and Americans Lynna Irby-Jackson, Shamier Little and Alexis Holmes.

Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma won the 800 meters with a time of 1:57.43. Jamaican Natoya Goule-Toppin, Halimah Nakaayi from Uganda, Mary Moraa from Kenya, and Americans Addy Wiley and Nia Akins rounded out the race.
Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon won the longest race of the evening, completing the 1,500 meters in 4:04.79, outpacing fellow Kenyan Susan Ejore, Cory McGee of the United States, Great Britain’s Katie Snowden, and Ethiopians Gudaf Tsegay and Diribe Welteji.

In the final contest, Gabby Thomas, who won three gold medals at the Paris Olympics, was upset by Brittany Brown in a photo finish. Brown, who won bronze in Paris, finished with a time of 22.18, just ahead of Thomas, who completed the race just 0.03 seconds later at 22.21. Australia’s Torrie Lewis, and Americans Jenna Prandini, Tamara Clark, and Anavia Battle also competed in the final race of the evening.

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* This article was originally published here

On Monday, Sept. 30, the Amsterdam News honored two union members for their contributions to the labor movement in New York City at the paper’s annual Labor Awards Breakfast, held at 1199SEIU headquarters in Midtown Manhattan and featuring speeches from labor union members, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.).

Gillibrand spoke about achievements of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). She also referenced the campaign she has been organizing with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Hochul.

Bill Moore photos

“We have made 1.2 million phone calls so far. We’ve knocked on 350,000 doors—we’re averaging 70,000 doors a week,” the junior senator said about the labor movement that these leaders are pushing in New York. “Labor taught me how to do this, so I am only a student of what you have already accomplished in this state. That’s what it’s going to take to win tough elections.”

Clarke acknowledged Amsterdam News Publisher Elinor Tatum for continuing to bring people together to have a conversation about unionization. She also congratulated the awardees of the morning, Mario Cilento and Vincent Alvarez, and thanked both for their contributions.

Bill Moore photos

“This honor is a mere recognition, given the years you have put into building here in the city of New York,” Gillibrand said to the awardees. “I inherited you from my mom as you were climbing the ranks, and it’s great to be here with you.” She went on to advocate for the voices of the unheard to be recognized.

“Our stories have been relegated to the background, and many don’t know that the people united will never be defeated,” Gillibrand said to the applause of the crowd.

A refrain among all speakers was the push to elect Vice President Kamala Harris as the next president of the United States: “Am I allowed to start politics here?” While thanking union members for their work, Hochul scratched the itch to speak about the political state of the country and the November 5 election.

Bill Moore photos

“What I am working on is making sure that Yvette Clarke is now in the majority with her friend Hakeem Jeffries as Speaker of the House,” Hochul said.

She also took time to speak to the many issues her administration has been tackling in the name of the labor movement. She invoked Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s name to connect both the Civil Rights Movement and labor movement.

“When you bring the power of unions with the power of civil rights, that is an unstoppable coalition,” the governor said. “When Dr. King marched on Washington in 1963, who was he surrounded with? Union members.”

Tatum followed the governor’s speech by thanking her for her words, and introduced the men of the morning.

Bill Moore photos

Mario Cilento, president of the New York State AFL-CIO, spoke about the importance of diversity within the organization. “Our members come from every race, religion, culture, ethnicity, sexual orientation…no questions asked, everyone is welcome, no one is turned away,” he said. He also commented about their union’s range in who they are able to reach out to: “Our members live and work in every city, town, village, municipality, locality, neighborhood, community, and ZIP code in the state.”

Alvarez is president of the New York Central Labor Council for the AFL-CIO. In his acceptance speech, like many before him, he alluded to the urgency of the moment the country is facing, both in the union fight and political fight. Like Cilento, he addressed the mobilization effort to have New Yorkers registered to vote.

“So many of us, over the years, have been fighting to make sure that we have that strong link between politics, between power in communities,” Alvarez said. “We have over 1 million union families that live in New York City that are registered to vote in New York City…and we will do everything that we can do to mobilize them this year in the national election.”

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* This article was originally published here

As expected, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, the Democratic vice-president contender, took his GOP opponent Ohio Sen. JD Vance to task for his repeated claims that Haitian immigrants were consuming their neighbors’ pets. That was about as close as the candidates came to including people of color in their first and only debate on Tuesday evening. Vance’s lies and denials were the key takeaways from the debate, if there was a highlight.

On more than one question from the CBS moderators, Vance either dodged or hedged in response, most notably when he was asked during an exchange with Walz if Trump lost the 2020 election. “Tim, I’m focused on the future,” Vance said. “Did Kamala Harris censor Americans from speaking their minds in the wake of the 2020 Covid situation?” Walz’s response was “That is a damning non-answer.”

That might have been the most egregious sidestep, but there were several others in which Vance continued to stand behind Trump, careful not to say anything that might damage his candidacy or Trump’s. Rather than respond to questions about the past, Vance repeated that he was more concerned about the future. He refused to say if he would certify a defeat by Trump in the coming election.

Immigrants have been repeatedly targeted by Trump as villains, and it was a gambit in Vance’s move against Walz to bring them up. “Look, in Springfield, Ohio, and in communities all across this country, you’ve got schools that are overwhelmed, you’ve got hospitals that are overwhelmed, you have got housing that is totally unaffordable because we brought in millions of illegal immigrants to compete with Americans for scarce homes,” Vance said. “The people that I’m most worried about in Springfield, Ohio, are the American citizens who have had their lives destroyed by Kamala Harris’s open border. It is a disgrace, Tim. And I actually think I agree with you. I think you want to solve this problem, but I don’t think that Kamala Harris does.”

Without referring directly to Vance’s allegation, Walz placed the matter in a broader context, stating that “…We can’t blame immigrants…that’s not the case that’s happening in many cities. The fact of the matter is, we don’t have enough naturally affordable housing, but we can make sure that the government’s there to help kickstart it, create that, create that base.”

On foreign policy, Walz drubbed Vance, particularly on the conflict in the Middle East. “October 7th, Hamas terrorists massacred over 1,400 Israelis and took prisoners,” Walz said. “…Israel’s ability to be able to defend itself is absolutely fundamental; getting its hostages back, fundamental; and ending the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. But the expansion of Israel and its proxies is an absolute, fundamental necessity for the United States to have steady leadership there. You saw it experienced today, where, along with our Israeli partners and our coalition, we were able to stop the incoming attack. But what’s fundamental here is that steady leadership is going to matter. It’s clear. And the world saw it on that debate stage a few weeks ago. A nearly 80-year-old Donald Trump talking about crowd sizes is not what we need at this moment.”

Unlike Walz, who cited Israel several times, Vance only mentioned the nation once, noting, “Look, it is up to Israel what they think they need to do to keep their country safe. And we should support our allies wherever they are when they’re fighting the bad guys. I think that’s the right approach to take with the Israel question.”

In his closing remarks—the most extensive of the night, Vance never mentioned Trump, which was another indication of his keeping his distance from his own running mate. Walz stressed the importance of Harris’s plan, quoting Maya Angelou and FDR: “Kamala Harris is bringing us a new way forward. She’s bringing us a politics of joy. She’s bringing real solutions for the middle class. And she’s centering you at the heart of that, all the while asking everyone, ‘Join this movement. Make your voices heard. Let’s look for a new day where everybody gets that opportunity and everybody gets a chance to thrive.’”

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* This article was originally published here

Prosecutors suggested that they might add further charges to those currently facing the embattled mayor of New York City, who made his second court appearance Wednesday, Oct. 2, after pleading not guilty to a five-count felony indictment the previous week.

Mayor Eric Adams became the first sitting NYC mayor to face a criminal trial when he was arraigned during a 20-minute appearance before a judge on the morning of September 27. Adams had arrived at the courthouse by 8:45 a.m in response to his summons. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 45 years in prison.

No date was set for his trial, although his attorney, Alex Spiro, asked to hold off until after an important election deadline.

The charges allege seeking and accepting improper gifts and donations from a foreign national—a Turkish official, to be specific. Adams allegedly cashed in on such favors just months before he took office by pressuring the fire department to facilitate the opening of a 36-story consulate building without an inspection—one the skyscraper would have allegedly failed.

Dressed in charcoal-gray suit and red tie, Adams spoke sparingly in court, mostly to acknowledge his rights to Magistrate Judge Katherine Parker and to plead not guilty. Spiro agreed to the prosecutors’ proposed conditional release, which stipulated not contacting witnesses. Spiro was aware of “one key witness” whom Adams should not contact. The prosecution will provide a list of the others.

Exceptions were made for Adams to communicate with family members and City Hall staff as long as they did not discuss the case. He now embarks on an unprecedented balancing act between a criminal trial and governing as New York City mayor.

Antonio Reynoso, who succeeded Adams as Brooklyn borough president, said he believes such an undertaking would hurt the city and called for Adams’s resignation.

“This is not about whether or not the mayor is innocent,” Reynoso said over the phone. “This is about whether he can run the city. And there is no way, with the severity of the charges that are being presented right now, that the mayor can solely focus on taking care of the City of New York.”

Attorney Olayemi Olurin, one of Adams’s harshest critics, pointed to the irony of the mayor now hoping to receive the same benefit of the doubt for criminally charged people he debated her over in their viral Breakfast Club debate earlier this year.

“It’s interesting to see a man spend the last few years going out of his way to increase the amount of police that are harassing Black and Brown New Yorkers,” Olurin said. “To increase the amount of New Yorkers [who] are stuck in Rikers pretrial, to completely dismiss and blow off not only people dying in Rikers pretrial but the actual [issues] like negligence and corruptions of corrections officers that played a role in those deaths…He was completely dismissive to all of it—absolutely everything—only for us to find out that that same man is involved in nothing but a litany of corruption.”

Reynoso, who also previously criticized Adams for increased policing, said the scope of his charges far surpass those he cracked down on. “What the mayor is being accused of doing is an example of something that would send this city into a place that no person stealing from bodega could take it,” he said.

Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member who writes about public safety for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.

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* This article was originally published here