Cuomo proposes $152.3B state budget with three-year extension to mayoral control of NYC schools

ALBANY — Gov. Cuomo wants to extend mayoral control over New York City schools through 2020, allow movie theaters to sell beer and alcohol, and tax and regulate e-cigarettes and other vapor products.

The proposals are all part of a $152.3 billion state budget proposal Cuomo unveiled Tuesday night.

Unlike last year, when the governor, who is feuding with Mayor de Blasio, sought to shift $800 million in CUNY and other funding from the state on to New York City, Cuomo said there are no such proposals in his budget plan this year.

He did suggest a three-year extension of mayoral control last year as well. But Mayor de Blasio had to settle for a one-year extender that expires this June after the Senate GOP wouldn’t budge.

Meanwhile, Cuomo’s plan would also extend a tax surcharge on the wealthy that was due to expire this coming December, continue with a middle class tax cut enacted last year, and close a $5.3 billion deficit.

Cuomo is proposing to boost education spending by $1 billion, or 4.1%, Medicaid by $567 million, or 3.2%, and spend $163 million to create a free public college tuition program for families making up to $125,000 that a source said would be covered entirely by the state.

The spending plan does not contain any contingencies for the possible repeal of President Obama’s Affordable Care Act, which, if not replaced, Cuomo has said could cost the state $3.7 billion.

In seeking to tax vapor products, Cuomo would expand the definition of tobacco products to include e-cigarettes, hookah pens and vape pens. He would impose a tax rate of 10-cents per milliliter.

Source:-nydailynews

slamic State detonates car bomb in Baghdad market, kills 45

An explosives-laden car bomb ripped through a commercial area in a predominantly Shiite neighborhood of Baghdad on Wednesday, killing at least 45 people and wounding dozens in an attack that was swiftly claimed by the extremist Islamic State group.

Shortly after the explosion, one of the deadliest recently in the Iraqi capital, the Sunni extremist group — which sees Shiite Muslims as apostates — said it was behind the assault. IS said the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber, but Iraqi officials denied that.
Security forces and citizens inspect the scene after a car bomb explosion at a crowded outdoor market in Baghdad. AP

Security forces and citizens inspect the scene after a car bomb explosion at a crowded outdoor market in Baghdad. AP

The bombing showed that while IS has suffered a number of territorial defeats in the past year, the militants are still capable of launching significant attacks across the country. They also have recently stepped-up assaults inside Baghdad, something officials say is an attempt to distract from their recent battlefield defeats.

Wednesday's bomb struck a crowded outdoor market in Baghdad's eastern district of Sadr City, two police officials said, adding that the blast also wounded up to 65 people, several seriously, prompting fears the death toll could rise further.

Ambulances rushed to the scene where dozens of residents walked through the twisted and mangled wreckage of cars and other debris that littered the pavement, trying to help the victims. The street was stained red with blood in many places and front-side facades of several buildings were heavily damaged. Smoke billowed from ground-level stores gutted out by the explosion.

Karim Salih, a 45-year old grocer, said the bomb was a pickup truck loaded with fruits and vegetables that was parked by a man who quickly disappeared among the crowds of people.

"It was such a thunderous explosion that jolted the ground," Salih told The Associated Press.

"The force of the explosion threw me for meters (yards) away and I lost consciousness for a few minutes," the merchant added. He suffered no injuries, but two of his workers were wounded.
Islamic State claimed responsibility for the car bomb. AP

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the car bomb. AP

Four medical officials confirmed the casualty figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they are not authorised to release the information to reporters.

In its online statement, IS said it had carried out a suicide attack that targeted a gathering of Shiite militiamen. The AP could not immediately verify the authenticity of the claim but it appeared on a website commonly used by the Sunni militants.

IS also a controls significant area in northern and western Iraq, including Iraq's second-largest city of Mosul. Commercial and public places in Shiite-dominated areas are among the most frequent targets for the Sunni militants seeking to undermine Iraqi government efforts to maintain security inside the capital.

In February, the group carried out devastating back-to-back market bombings in Sadr City, the stronghold of followers of an influential Shiite cleric. That attack claimed the lives of at least 73 people.

According to the United Nations, at least 741 Iraqis were killed in April due to ongoing violence. The U.N. mission to Iraq put the number of civilians killed at 410, while the rest it said were members of the security forces. A total of 1,374 Iraqis were wounded that month, UNAMI said.

In March, at least 1,119 people were killed and 1,561 wounded in the ongoing violence.

Source: http://www.firstpost.com