Regional Briefs – May 21, 2015

De Blasio Has No Plans For Town Hall Meetings

NEW YORK – Despite presenting himself as a man of the people, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday he has no “specific plans” for town hall meetings at which New Yorkers could raise concerns, Newsday reported. .

Surgeon Fined $10K for Slapping Sleeping Patients

SYRACUSE – A prominent orthopedic surgeon was fined $10,000, placed on probation and ordered to get psychiatric therapy for slapping anesthetized patients before surgery, the Syracuse Post-Standard reported. Michael Clarke said he did it to check anesthesia levels.

Donovan Becomes a Dad Days After Entering Congress

STATEN ISLAND – A week after becoming a congressman, Dan Donovan became a new parent, the Staten Island Advance reported. The former Staten Island district attorney, a Republican, said he sees his time in Washington as a way to make life better for his daughter.

New York’s Top Financial Regulator to Step Down

ALBANY – Benjamin Lawsky, who as New York state’s top financial regulator collected $6 billion in penalties from Wall Street giants, said Wednesday he will step down in June leading the Department of Financial Services, The Associated Press reported. Gov. Andrew Cuomo will appoint a successor.

24 Little Penguins Go On Display at Bronx Zoo

BRONX – Two dozen of the world’s smallest penguins arrived at the Bronx Zoo, brought over from Sydney, Australia, The Associated Press reported. The blue, or fairy, penguins, are one foot tall and weigh two to three pounds when grown.

NYC City Council Touts Participatory Budget Process

NEW YORK – The NYC Council announced that during a 10-day voting period last month, 51,000 voters cast their ballots to direct $32 million in city funds in the participatory budget process. Twenty-four of the 51 lawmakers partake in the program. A quarter of the voters are illegal immigrants and 10 percent are under 18.

This article appeared in print on page 5 of the May 21st, 2015 edition of Hamodia.