All-In Rams Cash In
Former Rams top recruit get shot to face old squad
COVID-19 clinic opens its doors in Bushwick
In the next Dessert with Andrew & Yvonne Zoom Seminar, the dynamic duo will discuss ways you can help those in need this holiday season. The seminar is titled, “Holiday Edition: Community Service.” From soup kitchens to nursing homes; learn about the various ways one can volunteer, and hear from organizations that are making a positive impact in our community.
Reyna to ally with Suozzi for Lt. Gov. bid Read more: Brooklyn Downtown Star – Reyna to ally with Suozzi for Lt Gov bid
In the next Dessert with Andrew & Yvonne Zoom Seminar, the dynamic duo will discuss ways you can help those in need this holiday season. The seminar is titled, “Holiday Edition: Community Service.” From soup kitchens to nursing homes; learn about the various ways one can volunteer, and hear from organizations that are making a positive impact in our community.
Churaman continues fight for his freedom
By Evan Triantafilidis
evant@queensledger.com
At the age of 15, Prakash Churaman says he was forced to confess to a crime he maintains he had nothing to do with.
Initially convicted of the murder of his best friend, Taquane Clark, in South Jamaica in late 2018, Churaman says he was denied from presenting evidence that would have acquitted him.
He was sentenced to nine years to life, before having the conviction overturned by the Appellate Division court in June 2020.
Churaman, who is of Guyanese descent, was held in pretrial detention at Rikers Island for nearly four years before he was afforded his first trial. When he was waiting on his appeal case, he was sent to a maximum security prison in upstate New York for an additional year and a half.
When the conviction was eventually overturned, he was offered and later refused a deal to plead guilty to assault and be released in a matter of weeks. Instead, Churaman is opting to fight for his freedom in his looming retrial.
“My life, since the day I was placed in handcuffs, has been a living nightmare every single day,” Churaman, now 22, said. “It destroyed me, it destroyed my family. It took a lot away from me.”
Churaman was officially charged with second-degree murder, along with charges of assault, kidnapping, attempted robbery and criminal possession of a weapon.
The key piece of evidence was testimony from Clark’s grandmother, who claimed she heard Churaman’s voice that night. There is no forensic evidence that places Churaman at the scene of the crime.
Churaman was arrested the following day and maintained his innocence for the first three hours of his interview with police. Churaman claims he was coerced into eventually giving a false confession, with his non-English speaking mother by his side at the 113th Precinct.
Neither was aware of their right to an attorney.
“There is little to no evidence, and the little evidence they do have is unreliable and inconsistent,” said Churaman. “Other than that, all they have is a coerced false confession extracted out of an innocent 15-year-old boy.”
In December 2020, Churaman was granted bail at $150,000 on the condition of wearing an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet in December 2020. Since then, he has been confined to his home as he awaits a new trial.
Exactly a year to the day of his last day spent as a detainee on Rikers Island, Churaman appeared back in Queens Criminal Court in hopes of learning the date of his new trial. Before stepping inside the court, Prakash was welcomed by a group of supporters.
“I’ve been waiting over a year-and-a-half for a new trial,” Churaman said from the steps of Queens Criminal Court, alleging that the District Attorney’s office is dragging out the case.
According to court transcripts from Churaman’s appearance at court last week, Assistant District Attorney Andrea Medina signaled that the prosecution has been ready for retrial, and also levied her own allegations of delay tactics against Churaman and his defense.
Churaman’s lawyer, Jose Nieves, objected to the claims that the defense was delaying the proceedings, and also to the court’s latest order that Churaman not speak on the steps of the courthouse again.
Churaman said he was nearly remanded when the judge overseeing his case relayed that he would prefer Churaman not make any public statements on the courthouse steps. The court also warned against any attempts to influence a jury pool, as well as where Churaman is allowed to be when he is not at home or at court.
“If I find out that you are violating that, you will be remanded and there will be no further discussions about your liberty,” said Judge Kenneth Holder, according to court transcripts. “I will not entertain it.”
In November, elected officials from across the borough penned a letter to the office of Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz calling for her to drop the charges against Churaman.
The list of signees includes Congress members Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Grace Meng and Carolyn Maloney, as well as over three dozen State Senators, Assembly and City Council members and district leaders.
“Churaman will never get back the last six years of his life,” the letter reads. “Given the context of the confession, the lack of forensic evidence, and the unjust prosecution of yet another young man of color, we call on you to drop all charges against Prakash Churaman immediately.”
Churaman welcomed his first child, Kayden, in November, coinciding with his first holiday season spent at home in six years.
The Queens District Attorney’s office did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Churaman’s next scheduled court date is set for February 7, when he hopes to learn when his new trial is slated to begin.
“There’s no definite date for justice,” Churaman said.
Hochul panders
Dear Editor,
Governor Kathy Hochul promised us a clean break from Albany’s disgraceful past upon taking office in August.
But she broke that vow by immediately urging a speed up in payments to illegal immigrants under the state’s $2.1 billion Excluded Workers Fund program passed by the legislature in April. It provides $15,600 to low earning undocumented immigrants who claim to have lost a job or suffered a 50 percent drop in earnings because of the COVID pandemic.
They are entitled to this money even if they worked off the books and paid no taxes. Moderate Democrats on Long Island and in the Hudson Valley and upstate opposed the measure, but progressives called them “racist” and rammed it through the legislative process.
State Democratic Party chairman Jay Jacobs chided progressives by noting that it’s not racist to question a program that gives “undocumented, non-taxpaying, off-the-books workers a humanitarian grant.”
Lawmakers passed the bill to benefit illegal immigrants who were excluded from the Trump and Biden
administrations’ COVID stimulus programs because they are in our nation illegally. Why can’t New York’s political leaders follow Washington’s example?
Blatant vote grabbing is one reason. Hochul plans to run for governor next year and needs left-wing voters to win her party’s primary election. Many of them live in New York City, where two-thirds of the 200,000 illegal immigrants eligible for COVID benefits reside and have relatives who vote.
I don’t know which NYC legislators voted for this measure, but those who did should be rejected by voters when they face re-election next year. They betrayed their taxpaying constituents and must be held accountable for it.
Sincerely,
Richard Reif
Kew Gardens Hills
Anti-anti-vaxers
Dear Editor,
I am outraged over the COVID-19 vaccination protests. The argument is mandatory vaccinations are a violation of their constitutional rights. How can a person have life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness when many who are not vaccinated are getting sick and dying?
Many of these same people don’t want their children vaccinated or wearing masks in school. Do they want their children sick and potentially dying from this dreaded disease?
Please everyone listen to the science and get vaccinated, because those you love depend on you to do so.
Sincerely Yours,
Frederick R. Bedell Jr.
Bellerose
Save your diner
Dear Editor,
“Sad Milestone for old Avenue Diner” in The Woodhaven Beat column concerning the first anniversary of the closing of the popular diner is reminiscent of other diners who have met a similar fate.
Over the years, we have seen the demise of the Bay Terrace (Bayside), Bel Aire (Astoria), Gold Star (Bayside), Seville (Douglaston), Sage (Elmhurst), Nevada (Elmhurst), Kanes (Flushing), Saravan (Flushing), Palace (Flushing), Future (Fresh Meadows), Forest Hills (Forest Hills), Waterview (Howard Beach), Fame (Jamaica), Scobees Grill (Little Neck), Sky Line (Glen Oaks), Shalimar (Rego Park), and Tasty (Ridgewood) diners.
Remember these people are our neighbors. Our local entrepreneurs who own and operate diners have continued to invest in our community creating new employment opportunities.
They work long hours, pay taxes and provide local employment. If we don’t patronize our local restaurants, they don’t eat either.
In these difficult economic times, it is important to patronize your favorite restaurants.
Here’s hoping that our remaining diners all continue to survive and prosper.
Sincerely,
Larry Penner
Great Neck
No mandates
Dear Editor,
The Centers for Disease Control said the vaccines do not prevent transmission of COVID-19, yet the administration says we must be vaccinated and wear masks to protect others.
If the vaccines don’t work 100 percent why are they being mandated?
We need to demand that the public advocate file an injunction against this administration, stopping them from forcing vaccine and mask mandates and mandatory testing until they are all confirmed to be 100 percent safe, and those imposing these mandates are subject to accountability if it turns out they’re mistaken.
Finally, we need to elect a mayor and City Council that’s going to pass a law that will remove executive immunity for criminal actions and prevent the violation of our rights without probable cause and due process.
Sincerely,
Marvin Jeffcoat
Sunnyside
Do I need a co-op inspection?
Q: We are about to buy a co-op, and one of my friends asked me if I was going to do an inspection. Do I need to do this for an apartment in a building?
A: A home inspection is not generally done for a co-op apartment because the co-op is responsible for the structure of the building. The only time I would recommend an inspection is if your apartment is located on the top floor or below street level and there is evidence of structural issues.
In either case, it is almost always the responsibility of the co-op to repair any structural problems. You can personally check things like appliances and water leaks and save yourself several hundred dollars of home inspection fees.
Q: Why do I need a lawyer to buy or sell?
A: In many other states, lawyers are not used for transactions. This is usually handled by the brokers and title companies. Using a government-mandated form, you only have to sign a simple agreement and you are in contract.
In the New York metropolitan area, lawyers are very important due to the overwhelming amount of paperwork required to enter into contract and subsequently close a transaction.
This can be even greater if there are banks involved. An experienced attorney will be able to protect your interests and keep you out of bad situations that can cost you money.
Send your real estate-related questions to jambron@bhsusa.com.
Soy: Beneficial or Harmful?
A common question in my practice revolves around soy. Should you consumed or avoid it, especially for women who have breast cancer risk factors? It is a valid question, and the medical research has begun to debunk the myth that soy is detrimental.
The form of soy is important; soy from food seems to be safe, but soy in high supplement form has shown mixed results.
Why are patients worried? Soy contains phytoestrogens (plant estrogens). The thought is that phytoestrogens have similar effects as estrogen produced by humans or other animals.
However, the story is complex: soy actually may help prevent breast cancer and its recurrence. It may also have other positive health effects.
Breast Cancer Impact
The Shanghai Breast Cancer Survival Study, an over 5,000 patient observational trial that followed patients for a median of 3.9 years, has had resounding effects on the way we think of soy in relation to breast cancer.
The population consisted of women who had already had one occurrence of breast cancer that was in remission. The women who consumed the most soy from food, measured as soy isoflavones or soy proteins, had a 32 percent reduction in a second occurrence of breast cancer and a 29 percent reduction in breast cancer mortality, compared to those who consumed the least.
This inverse relationship was seen in both estrogen receptor-positive and estrogen receptor-negative women. It is more difficult to treat estrogen receptor-negative women; therefore, making these results even more impressive.
A 2008 meta-analysis suggested that soy decreases breast cancer risk on a dose-dependent curve; for every 10 mg of soy isoflavones daily, there was a 16 percent reduction in breast cancer risk.
Menopause
Soy and soy isoflavones may help improve cognitive function in postmenopausal women. This effect was seen only in women who increased their soy intake before age 65. There may be a “critical window” of therapeutic opportunity in early stages of post-menopause where soy has the greatest impact.
Soy is not the food with the greatest phytoestrogens, flaxseed is. In a randomized control trial, a daily flaxseed bar did no better at reducing vasomotor symptoms in postmenopausal women, such as hot flashes, than a fiber placebo bar. This took the study’s authors by surprise; preliminary studies had suggested the opposite.
Reinforcing these results, another trial failed to show any beneficial effect of soy isoflavones on menopausal symptoms or on preventing bone loss.
Lung Cancer Treatment and Prevention
Soy isoflavones help to boost the effect of radiation on cancer cells by blocking DNA repair in these cells. They also protect surrounding healthy cells with an antioxidant effect. Soybeans contain three powerful components, genistein, daidzein and glycitein, that provide this effect.
Pretreating lung cancer patients, may promote better outcomes.
The risk of lung cancer was also shown to be reduced 23 percent in one meta-analysis of 11 trials. In subset data, when analysis was restricted to the five highest quality studies, there was an even greater reduction: 30 percent.
Cholesterol
Soy may have modest effects in reducing cholesterol levels. Interestingly, people who convert a soy enzyme to a substance called equol, an estrogen-like compound, during digestion were considered the only ones to benefit; however, one study showed that equol non-producers also benefited with a reduction in LDL “bad” cholesterol.
The equol producers maintained their HDL “good” cholesterol whereas the non-producers saw a decline.
What does all of this tell us? Soy is most likely beneficial for men and women alike, even in those with a risk of breast cancer. It does not mean we should eat a soy-based diet, but rather have soy in moderation – on a daily basis, perhaps. It is best to eat whole soy, not soy isolates.
Also, soy supplements are not the same as foods that contain soy, so it is best to consume soy in foods.
