Good morning. Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo testified before House Republicans about the state’s COVID-19 response on Tuesday. Cuomo was subpoenaed and accused of dangerously exposing nursing home patients to COVID-19 at the height of the pandemic in March.
Cuomo resigned as governor in 2021. He continues to face questions regarding his 2020 state order that required nursing homes to accept COVID-positive patients amid a shortage of hospital beds. Despite the thousands of deaths that occurred in state nursing homes, Cuomo denies any wrongdoing.
Here’s a bite-sized look at what else we are hearing:
Attorneys for Michelle Troconis seek to have her released amid plans to appeal sentencing. Troconis was sentenced in May to 14 and half years in prison for conspiring to kill Jennifer Dulos, a New Canaan mother of five. Judge Kevin Randolph denied her attorney's motion for an appeal bond. Attorney Jon Schoenhorn said the appeal could result in a reversal of the conviction and dismissal of charges.
New York will impose limits on horseshoe crab harvesting. The state legislature agreed to ban using Long Island horseshoe crabs for bait or biomedical use last week. New Jersey, Connecticut and Maryland already have similar restrictions in place. The 445 million-year-old species is considered to be vulnerable to extinction. Since the 1970s, the crabs' unique blue blood has been used to identify toxins or bacteria in vaccines or hospital equipment. The ban awaits approval from Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Gov. Ned Lamont wants proposed Bridgeport soccer stadiums to be privately funded. This comes after the city got $8 million from the state’s Community Investment Fund for a Lower East Side cleanup last week. Once the site is cleaned, entrepreneur Andre Swanston hopes to build the stadiums along with housing, retail stores, and a hotel. This project is expected to cost $30 million.
Suffolk County nurse to serve community service, pay fine for fake vaccine cards. Julie DeVuono will serve 840 hours of community service and pay $1.2 million. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she sold $1 million worth of fraudulent vaccine cards out of her Amityville healthcare center. She was sentenced to six months in jail, but will instead serve community service and lose her nursing license as part of a plea deal. According to a state judge, DeVuono and Wild Child Pediatrics staff threw away thousands of vials of vaccines.
Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana to open a Stamford location. Opening day is June 17. It will be located in a plaza at 64 High Ridge Road next to a Shake Shack. The new pizzeria has been under construction since 2022. This will be the city’s first Pepe’s, and Connecticut’s eighth location. The original spot in New Haven has been open for 99 years.
Hochul appoints three new members to New York’s Office of Cannabis Management. This is part of an operational overhaul launched in May. Felicia Reid will serve as executive deputy director and acting executive director, Susan Filburn will serve as chief administrative officer, and Jessica Woolford will be director of external affairs. Hochul expects these appointments will help expand the state’s cannabis market and crack down on illicit storefronts.
JetBlue announces flights out of Long Island. Beginning October 24, JetBlue will service flights out of Long Island’s MacArthur Airport to Florida. Passengers will now have the opportunity to fly nonstop to Orlando International Airport, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, and Palm Beach International Airport.
