NY Governor Kathy Hochul selects Rep. Antonio Delgado to become lieutenant governor

Rep. Antonio Delgado, D-Rhinebeck, ended his campaign for re-election abruptly Tuesday when Gov. Kathy Hochul selected him to be her new lieutenant governor following the recent resignation of Brian Benjamin.

"I am proud to announce I am appointing Congressman Antonio Delgado, an outstanding leader and public servant, as Lieutenant Governor of New York," Hochul said. "I look forward to working with him to usher in a new era of fairness, equity, and prosperity for communities across the State."

Hochul said Delgado has some congressional duties to complete and will be installed as lieutenant governor by month's end. She dubbed him "a rising star."

Joining Hochul at a press conference at the statehouse, Delgado said he is leaving his congressional seat because he believes he can have a greater impact on the state as lieutenant governor than he has had while serving in Congress. He also suggested he will play a key role for Hochul and will not be marginalized. In several past administrations, the lieutenant governor has often been used for low-profile ceremonial functions.

A Harvard Law School graduate and a native of Schenectady, Delgado became the first person of Hispanic or African American descent to win an upstate House seat when he defeated then Rep. John Faso, R-Columbia County,, in what proved to be the blue wave election of 2018.

Delgado told reporters his family background is Cape Verdean and African American. He noted he and his wife met while both were students at Harvard Law School. The couple has twin 8-year-old sons, Maxwell and Coltrane. Delgado noted they are being raised in the Jewish faith. He said he cherishes the diversity of the state's population.

Statement by Vice President Kamala Harris on Supreme Court draft opinion on overturning Roe v. Wade.

Vice President Kamala Harris released the following after a release of a Supreme Court opinion was released on overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade decision.

The United States Supreme Court has now confirmed that the draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade is genuine.

Roe ensures a woman’s right to choose to have an abortion. It also, at its root, protects the fundamental right to privacy. What is clear is that opponents of Roe want to punish women and take away their rights to make decisions about their own bodies. Republican legislators in states across the country are weaponizing the use of the law against women.

The rights of all Americans are at risk. If the right to privacy is weakened, every person could face a future in which the government can potentially interfere in the personal decisions you make about your life. This is the time to fight for women and for our country with everything we have.

Brittney Griner’s Initials and Jersey Number to Be Placed Along Sideline of All 12 WNBA Courts

The WNBA today announced plans to acknowledge the importance of Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner to the league. During the 2022 season, which tips off on Friday, May 6, Griner’s initials and jersey number (42) will be featured along the sideline of all 12 WNBA courts.

“As we begin the 2022 season, we are keeping Brittney at the forefront of what we do through the game of basketball and in the community,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “We continue to work on bringing Brittney home and are appreciative of the support the community has shown BG and her family during this extraordinarily challenging time.”

The league also announced today that the Phoenix Mercury have been granted both roster and salary cap relief so that it can carry a replacement player until Griner, who will be paid her full salary, returns home and is ready to get back on the court.

As previously announced by the Mercury, philanthropic initiatives recognizing Griner and modeled after her contributions to the Phoenix community will take place across the WNBA during tip-off weekend into the 2022 season. Every WNBA market will support BG’s Heart and Sole Shoe Drive, which is in partnership with the Phoenix Rescue Mission. Griner founded the initiative in 2016 to support the homeless population.

“In conjunction with the league, the other 11 teams, and those closest to BG, we will work to keep her top-of-mind as we tip the 2022 season,” said Jim Pitman, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Phoenix Mercury. “While we await her return, our main concern remains for her safety and well-being. Our fans will miss her impact on the court and in our community, and this gesture of including her initials on every court and our BG’s Heart and Sole Shoe Drive activation in every market are for them and for her.”

Judge allows Tulsa Race Massacre reparations lawsuit to proceed

An Oklahoma judge ruled Monday that a lawsuit can proceed that seeks reparations for survivors and descendants of victims of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.

Tulsa County District Court Judge Caroline Wall’s ruling brought new hope for some measure of justice over the racist rampage in which an angry white mob killed hundreds of Black residents and destroyed what had been the nation’s most prosperous Black business district.

Civil rights attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons filed the lawsuit in 2020 under the state’s public nuisance law. The lawsuit seeks unspecified punitive damages and calls for creation of a hospital in north Tulsa, in addition to mental health and education programs and a Tulsa Massacre Victims Compensation Fund.

Solomon-Simmons said a quick decision is critical for living survivors Lessie Benningfield Randle, 107, Viola Fletcher, 107, and Hugh Van Ellis, 101.

“We believe this is the last opportunity for these survivors to have their day in court,” Solomon-Simmons said, citing their ages. “We want to ask (the judge) to move forward and move forward as soon as possible.”

The city and insurance companies never compensated victims for their losses, and the massacre ultimately resulted in racial and economic disparities that still exist today, the lawsuit claims. In the years following the massacre, according to the lawsuit, city and county officials actively thwarted the community’s effort to rebuild and neglected the Greenwood and predominantly Black north Tulsa community in favor of overwhelmingly white parts of Tulsa.

Defendants in the lawsuit include, the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce, the Tulsa County Board of County Commissioners, Tulsa Metropolitan Area Planning Commission, Tulsa County Sheriff and the Oklahoma Military Department.

First two Black women in White House press corps honored with lifetime achievement awards

African American reporters, Alice Dunnigan and Ethel Payne both received posthumous honors Saturday during the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Dunnigan was the first African American female reporter to be credentialed at the White House in 1947. She was joined on the beat by Ms. Payne a few years later.

Both women distinguished themselves during the presidency of Dwight Eisenhower, regularly pressing him at his press conferences – when no other reporters would – about his administration’s support for civil rights for Black Americans.

Dunnigan and Payne, both of whom penned articles for the Chicago Defender, were recognized by the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA), which bestowed the Dunnigan-Payne Prize for Lifetime Career Achievement Award to each.

The WHCA announced they would present the award, which recognizes meritorious service throughout an individual’s career as a White House correspondent.

During a black-tie gala at the Washington Hilton on Saturday, Gayle King of “CBS Mornings” presented the award to relatives of Dunnigan and Payne, who died in 1983 and 1991, respectively.

“This association of White House reporters has never given its due to these two pioneering WHCA members who paved the way for so many,” said WHCA President Steven Portnoy.

“We are proud to see to it that Alice Dunnigan and Ethel Payne will be forever remembered for their service to the profession and to the American public,” Portnoy said.