The Movie Industry Holds Its Breath As New York Reopens Theaters
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Movie theaters in New York City are reopening after nearly a year. And the decisions has consequences for the entire globaly output of Hollywood.
WSKG (https://wskg.org/category/news/economy/)
Movie theaters in New York City are reopening after nearly a year. And the decisions has consequences for the entire globaly output of Hollywood.
“What we’ve seen in other states like Colorado — less taxes and lower barrier to entry — means more revenue. More revenue means more money for community reinvestment.”
Restaurant and bar owners have pressured state lawmakers for months to give their struggling businesses more help.
Legislative Democrats’ qualms don’t stop at the social equity funding, there are additional concerns as well with the taxation structure, criminal penalties and oversight of the Governor’s proposed Office of Cannabis Management.
Industry rejects report, calls gas development a ‘game-changer for local economies’
Cuomo’s proposal would set aside $100 million of the state tax revenue generated by the cannabis industry to be reinvested for purposes of social equity, targeting communities disproportionately impacted by the state’s drug laws.
“We’re both happy with what we do and none of that will change. And there’ll be no attempt to close any stores.”
“Thousands of restaurants throughout New York state will close if we don’t get them some immediate relief.”
“With the holiday surge now in our rear-view mirror, we must keep taking steps to further re-open the economy safely and responsibly.”
“Transportation’s a huge problem for them to get here. The winter’s been harder.”
Officials with the two companies say it will nearly double their collective footprint in the Northeast.
The latest government figures show a net loss of 140,000 jobs in December. What may be surprising is that all those jobs were held by women, especially women of color.
The steepest decline in sales tax collections happened during the peak of the pandemic, when sales tax collections dropped by about 27% statewide.
“The Rebuild Rural America Act would transform the federal government away from being a complicated, siloed and top-down enterprise or bureaucracy, into a more responsive, effective partner for our rural communities.”
“The state needs to step up and help us ensure that this industry is able to continue on and prosper. It is the lifeblood of New York state.”
“We were waiting for this for a long time and everything. It’s like a big sigh of relief for me.”
Mayor Bill de Blasio said that President Trump “incited a rebellion” and that New York City “will not be associated with those unforgivable acts in any shape, way or form.”
“We saw in the first big wave here in New York that the people who bore the brunt, the sacrifice and health problems, were the people who had to go to work.”
“This is really a very important step forward in fighting COVID and in fighting any other kind of illness.’
A business that traditionally provided line standers for Broadway shows and other events, now serves people who don’t want to wait hours outside a health clinic.
There are several new tip credit rates covering various employees who typically receive a tip as part of their service.
“2021 is going to be literally what we make of it. We’re coming out of probably the most traumatic year that we’ve had in decades.”
Large and medium businesses must pay their employees if they are out because of their own illness, or to care for sick family member.
“I don’t think an anti-vaxxer would have a good claim if they were fired for refusing to take a vaccine.”
If you’re wondering when your check will arrive, what’s up with your unemployment, or what else taxpayers should expect from the new program, here’s what you need to know.
More than 300,000 people in Pennsylvania have been filing for continuing claims, according to federal data.
SYRACUSE, NY (WRVO) – The federal government is directing more than $1 billion worth of COVID relief funding passed earlier this year to offset losses incurred by ambulance providers. It’s welcome news in New York. “Emergency medical service providers across the U.S. have been struggling to stay afloat as the COVID-19 health crisis has raged on. Nowhere is that more true than here in New York, one of the hardest-hit states during the pandemic,” said Jeff Endler, a spokesperson for the United New York Ambulance Network. Lon Fricano, director of operations at TLC Emergency Medical Services that covers Auburn and Onondaga and Cortland counties, said every year in this business is tough, but COVID has doubled down on difficulties they face.
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said it’s still possible that a session will be held before 2020 ends on more substantive issues.
“It’s not a stimulus bill. It’s an emergency survival bill and we’re going to fight for more dollars later,.”
“Over 85 families are depending on this food for their Christmas dinners, so we are very concerned about being able to get the plowing done.”
Expansion includes Elmira, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, and Buffalo in New York state.
“If we do not change the trajectory, we could very well be headed to shutdown, and shutdown is something to worry about.”
A separate bill for $160 billion links state, local and tribal aid to an agreement on liability provisions.
“This is an important step in the worldwide campaign to stop investments in fossil fuels in order to prevent the worst of global warming.”
U.S. employers will be able to require their employees to get a COVID-19 vaccine unless the employee has reasonable medical or religious objections.
“Overwhelming the hospital system means people die on a gurney in a hallway, and the life you could’ve saved you can’t save because you don’t have the staff, you don’t have the doctors, you don’t have the nurses.”
The proposed $765 million loan to Kodak was announced last July as part of the company’s plans to make ingredients used in generic pharmaceuticals.
“Nobody’s giving us any direction. We don’t have the unemployment thing in place, we don’t have the other supports that were in place the last time they shut us down, they’re just like, ‘You gotta close.’ ”
“We know that we can’t depend upon the federal government, given the fact that we’ve been waiting for them to respond to this crisis for months now.”
“I would consider it shameful that our federally elected representatives have not been able to come together to provide some type of meaningful assistance.”
State announced $3.9 M studies after pressure from families of rare cancer patients in SW PA
“They need to continue because the money for those has already been allocated which is important, but also those are supporting downtowns and small businesses and jobs.”
While the unemployment rate in the five boroughs dropped to 13.2% in October, the rate outside New York City went up from 6.6% in September to 6.9% in October.
“Let’s not do these massive shutdowns of gyms or shopping malls or restaurants. That will just crush the economy more.”
As coronavirus cases soar in Pennsylvania, state lawmakers face a looming deadline to spend $1.3 billion in federal pandemic relief that the commonwealth received in early spring, but still hasn’t used.
The budget is about a 6 percent decrease from 2020.
There may not be the same level of shelf-clearing seen last spring, but supermarkets, like Wegmans and Tops, continue to limit purchases of certain items.
Social dining, whether indoors or outdoors, is one of three “main spreaders of COVID.” He urged local authorities to enforce the new rules.
“Joe Biden has rightfully earned the title of being the projected president-elect and that should be recognized,” Rep. Reed said.
“We also need to do a whole lot of work in the coming years to make sure we are building a truly equitable and just democracy,” said one of the rally organizers, Joanna Green.
“I do not believe you can be trusted on this question, Mr. Reed,” said Democratic challenger Tracy Mitrano.
Democratic incumbent Anthony Brindisi, former Republican representative Claudia Tenney and Libertarian candidate Keith Price covered an array of issues, including policing and climate change.
“It’s definitely a perfect storm with the increased need, stores starting to close, and the donations potentially being fewer, which is why we’re really extending this campaign.”
Democratic County Executive Jason Garnar and Republican challenger Karl Bernhardsen met in an online forum hosted by the Rotary Club of Binghamton.
“I don’t want to wait until after the election to do this, I think we need help now.”
Many of the protesters who spoke during the hearing criticized the budget proposal for adding two new sheriff positions and keeping the budget for the Broome County jail at more than $29 million.
“We need the economic growth. We need the revenue and we need the restorative justice that the legalization of adult-use cannabis will provide.”
The vote was 7-1.
According to the resolution, residents have expressed concerns about potential negative impacts of pollution and truck traffic from the facility on tourism, agriculture, and human health.
The support for raising the federal minimum wage is higher than it was before the coronavirus pandemic took hold.
“I want people to have fundamental stability in their lives. Nobody’s going to be evicted because of housing.”
One of the reasons the Port of Oswego deals in so much aluminum is Novelis, a plant in Oswego County that prepares the metal for use in cars, cans, and other products.
When asked if the recent events might deter another stimulus bill, Reed said his goal remains unchanged.
The unemployment rate in most of the state’s metro areas in New York dipped below 10% in August for the first time since March.
New York state will begin enforcing its ban on single-use carry-out plastic bags next month after a brief hiatus of the law due to a legal challenge brought earlier this year.
Governor Cuomo had said on Sept. 10 that New York might have to raise taxes to deal with its massive budget deficit but has since walked back those comments.
“I don’t even know what that’s like, having to actually go fill out an application to try to get another job, and fit in somewhere,” said Swain. “Starting over, like that’s just so crazy.”
“Those properties, to be honest, should really be condemned, but people have to live there because it’s the only place that they’re able to afford.”
“The numbers are probably going to obscure some real misery, a sort of invisible misery in this community. We still have almost 10% unemployment.”
“It is very stressful. It’s been six months now that we haven’t had the revenue in the stream. It’s been a difficult time.”
“We have waited long enough for the federal government to act, and we are going to come up with our own plan.”
“We’ve been planning this all for a while, so the regulations were about what we thought they were gonna be.”
As the president of the Conference of Mayors, David said he will pursue increased federal funding and essential state aid.
“We want the village trustees of Endicott to respect their residents, to listen to their concerns and to represent their best interest.”
“We really are asking our farmers to be patient as we try to work this out with the federal government.”
“We’re saying here are some examples of where those resources are needed, and they’re needed now.”
White House counselor Kellyanne Conway announced she was stepping down from her position to look after her family. Working families across the country are figuring out how to provide care for their children with remote and hybrid schooling this year.
“Teachers are always paying for things out of the goodness of their hearts, and they’re not paid that much, but this one is so expensive we’ve got to get federal help.”
The decision to entrust $765 million of taxpayer money to the former maker of photographic equipment raises several questions about the Trump administration’s due diligence of Kodak.
“It’s technically doable, I guess.”
“It can’t just fall on the teachers to figure it out, or even the local school districts,” said Griffin.
“It is really, really going to hurt this community if we don’t get some type of assistance.”
Kentucky is also the home state of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. McConnell earlier this year suggested that states that lost revenue due to the pandemic should declare bankruptcy.
“Recent allegations of wrongdoing raise serious concerns. We will not proceed any further unless these allegations are cleared.”
“If parents are going to have to go to work and the kids are at home, that’s just an absolute nightmare.”
U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, (D-Massachusetts) said she sent a letter to the SEC Chairman asking that agency to look at the potential for insider trading.
Pennsylvania’s finances received a welcome — but probably temporary — boost in July, with tax collections up 6.6% compared to the same time last year, according to figures released Monday by the state’s Independent Fiscal Office.
“We’re promoting the message of black is beautiful and black excellence and being able to pass this down to generations to come.”
State officials are trying again, this time with a grant program targeted at the smallest and most vulnerable operations.
Eastman Kodak will help produce components needed to manufacture generic pharmaceuticals with the help of a substantial federal loan.
“If we did something as a business, the person would just up and leave and go somewhere else, because someone else is not going to enforce it.”
“I’ve been doing this since April 4th, and I have received zero money. The problem is you cannot get through on the phone.”
8 percent of claims needed to be reviewed manually.
In the spirit of bipartisanship, Rep. John Katko (R-Camillus) and Rep. Anthony Brindisi (D-Utica) got together for a virtual town hall on Facebook this week, the first time they’ve ever done such a joint meeting.
Customers with some of the company’s TV packages, like TV Gold, TV Silver and TV Select will see their bills increase $1.50 per month.
“I would never have applied if they hadn’t come and talked to me about it. They emphasized to me: Why don’t you take advantage of some of the things that are out there for you?”
“New Yorkers are outraged at these establishments, we’re getting thousands of complaints, pictures, videos. This is a question of public health.”
Chelsea business owners hope the reopening of the popular elevated park will bring more foot traffic back to the neighborhood.
“We just have to change the law to let folks like this get a second round and we will have many, many more small businesses surviving and even prospering in the next six months.”
“The federal government’s demands that schools reopen without concern for health, safety and equity are simply out of touch.”
“Evictions are violence. They can mean the death of people and their families, especially during a health pandemic.”
“We are seeing a lot of day- and long-weekend trips to the Finger Lakes, Thousand Islands, Adirondacks, and the Lake George area. State parks remain popular as the tourists enjoy hiking and being out in nature.”
“Those expenses still continue whether or not there are people here.”
67 Orange Street makes do with take-out and outdoor service while waiting for a decision on inside dining in NYC.
New York City, which normally is the number-one tourism destination in the state, is still viewed by many to be unsafe – opening up new opportunities for upstate.
“We were all facing the fact that when we reopen, we have to figure out how to social distance in one of the most intimate settings there is: taking care of a customer.”
Students will be required to undergo regular screening and testing for COVID-19.
“We will make it mandatory that they have air filtration systems that can filter out the COVID virus.”
“We are ready to be back in business in a safe and effective manner and we’re just hoping that we can have the opportunity to do so, so that we can feed our families.”
Mayor Bill de Blasio warned that without aid from Albany and Washington, as well as concessions from labor groups, every department would face unprecedented job cuts
“Everyone’s got that opinion, but it’s only me that’s got that liquor license.”
The unemployment rate nearly quadrupled in New York state’s metro areas in May compared to the same time last year, landing at 14.5% across the board, according to data released Tuesday by the state Department of Labor.
Broome County Executive Jason Garnar tweeted the Southern Tier region had been cleared to begin Phase 4 Friday. But he did not indicate what businesses would be opening.
“It’s business critical at this point. We’ve been shut down for three months and we have zero revenue, still having many of the obligations that we had before.”
Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers will be getting more money than usual to help with groceries this month.
New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said that sales tax revenue for local governments fell by more than 32% in May compared to the same month a year ago.
“The machine itself will tell you when and if it has been sanitized since it last was played and at what time.”
As the Finger Lakes region moves through the phases of reopening its economy, people who work with the region’s oldest residents say they still need to take extra precautions.
“The No. 1 contributor to New York state sales tax are bars and restaurants, so it will help the economy, it’ll help local businesses and it’ll help (our) finances as well.”
Senate still needs to act, but resolution faces almost certain disapproval by governor
The epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. has spent weeks under strict restrictions. But the mayor says up to 400,000 people will likely return to their jobs soon — with some conditions.
Local officials complained about a lack of communication with state officials leading up to today.
Dine-in service is part of phase three of reopening
“It would just be a disaster. It’s, it would just be awful in every area.”
“This is going to be our new normal when the government allows us to come back. So, I am giving it a go.”
“If I’m not making money, if I can’t sustain rent on 2,400 square feet, plus utilities, then it’s no longer a benefit for me to keep the business as it was running.”
After rejecting bill to reopen real estate industry, Wolf issues guidelines to accomplish the same goal
Construction has already started on a $350 million, 3.8 million square foot distribution center, where employees will work alongside robots to fulfill smaller customer orders.
Pa. is only state in nation where real estate is on hold during coronavirus
PA business owners share stories of evolving, sometimes contradictory, guidance from state
The state’s unemployment benefits agency continues to deal with “an avalanche of claims.”
Broome County’s Executive Jason Garnar said if the region continues to fulfill the reopening criteria set by the state, it could see Phase 2 on May 29th.
“It takes that one person walking through the door. That one person being curbside that happens to cough on me, then who knows.”
“Going out there and saying ‘support your local economy’ is going to make you look bad if at the same time you are saying ‘put your kids in danger.’”
“There’s a lot of people who think nothing will happen to them, and keep getting together, keep having parties.”
“You open a business tomorrow with 50 employees. You don’t do it right, one person was infected. You can infect 30 of the 50 in one afternoon.”
Four regional counties were allowed to restart the procedures on Wednesday.
Small business owners, including restauranteur Carlos Suarez, testified about the struggles they have endured to get federal aid.
He said New York’s North Country and the Central New York regions have met the state’s criteria.
“A lot of the headlines in terms of this pandemic being a great equalizer, isn’t necessarily so, in the way it’s playing out.”
How this business qualified for a waiver is unclear from just the information DCED posted on its website.
“It wasn’t about getting masks out to the public. It was about saving his company and making as much money as possible.”
The repercussions have been devastating. Nearly 1,000 out of 26,000 restaurants operating in the state have permanently closed due to coronavirus.
As sales to restaurant clients dried up, oyster farmer Peter Stein had to adapt or perish. Now, he’s delivering oysters directly to individual customers, doing about 20% of his usual business.
Many of these companies have already instituted a variety of protocols to keep workers safe.
Help with refinancing debt could help shale companies in PA
They are particularly at risk of serious complications or death if they get the coronavirus, but if they refuse to work, they could lose their job and unemployment.
The state issued 12,826 denials and 11,635 businesses were told that their request did not require an exemption.
The Governor said more details will be available on Monday.
“They are all feeling very ready to get back to work. Most of them are in the process of trying to develop plans to get there.”
The governor says the state cannot widely enforce its worker safety order.
The stores will be limited to no more than 25 people, including employees, in a store at any one time.
Governor Wolf said he didn’t know how many people would be hired or when the corps would be formed, but that he wants it to be a big deal.
Maxwell Kirsner built sets for big events. Then he, his fiancée and their coworkers were laid off. Kirsner says he’s optimistic the city will make it back, but he’s worried how long that will take.
Visits to any dealership will be by appointment only, and a number of safety precautions will be monitored to keep dealers and buyers safe.
“Is this the new normal in terms of what we’re going to do in terms of shutting down the economy?”
Some senior staff people volunteered to be furloughed so that others could keep their jobs.
Democrats backing the bill say the White House has not fully utilized the power of the federal government, which has left hospitals and health care workers shorted in many places.
The state in mid-April ordered all essential employers to provide protections, but some workers say they’ve seen little change.
The entire state is in the red status until Friday.
“You’d rather have a controlled start, so that you don’t have to stop. You reopen too fast, then you have to stop.”
“I think in the aftermath of COVID-19, and hopefully it happens sooner than we think, virtual job fairs are going to become the rule and not the exception.”
Local businesses are coming up with plans for restarting, but how and when they go into effect are still an unknown.
“The plan is for us to continue to get dairy into the county through the food pantries and other food programs as long as the donations keep flowing.”
The types of apartments rented in Binghamton do not give tenants much opportunity to organize into a collective bargaining unit.
“You rely on your state to bail you out and you can’t get any answers.”
Republicans in legislature want details on how state handled business requests to remain open during coronavirus closures
“We’re deemed essential on the backside, but not on the revenue side.”
“The state is considering a deferral for all companies that have job creation requirements as part of economic development packages.”
The Council also passed a resolution to reduce the type of health insurance plan for the mayor, Common Council and other managerial staff.
“I believe that they are scared. If you listen to a lot of what’s going on [on the news], it’s a lot of overkill, on the fear factor.”
“It’s another Monday, and it’s another end-the-shutdown bill.”
“I’m one to look at the half-full glass … but now I’m looking at which customers of ours are going to survive.”
Amazon may have violated federal health and safety standards as well as New York’s whistleblower law, the New York attorney general’s office wrote to Amazon in a letter obtained by NPR.
“As we begin to rethink and restart the economy, projects like this can really help transform communities in a very positive way.”
The New York Farm Bureau has asked the state, in recent days, to ramp up testing for COVID-19 in rural areas of the state, particularly at farms.
As need has increased, donations have decreased.
“Ultimately, the virus is going to set the timeline, not us.”
“We need to be, I think, taking a look at the data, and working with not only the health professionals, but also the business community.”
PA POST – Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf says it’s time to start talking about reopening the state’s economy, but during a Friday afternoon news conference, he avoided providing dates for when he will lift restrictions on Pennsylvania residents and businesses. “Unfortunately, we cannot flip a switch and reopen the commonwealth,” Wolf said. “There isn’t going to be one big day. We need to make smart, data-driven decisions, and we can’t be impulsive. We can’t be emotional.”
Starting next week, Wolf said he plans to describe specific steps for lifting restrictions in Pennsylvania. Those steps will follow guidelines released by the Wolf administration on Friday that emphasize a data-driven approach to create quantifiable criteria and take into account conditions in different regions of the state.