Vol. 32, Issue 20 QUEENS/LONG ISLAND/BRONX/MANHATTAN May 14-20, 2021
New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks at a news conference about price
gouging amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in the Manhattan borough
of New York City, New York, U.S., April 1, 2021. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri, fi le
By Nelson A. King
New York Attorney General
Letitia James on Thursday
issued an alert to New
Yorkers concerning potential
gasoline price gouging following
the interruption of a
major fuel pipeline serving
the eastern half of the United
States — urging consumers to
report dramatic gasoline price
increases to the Office of the
Attorney General (OAG) for
investigation.
The current disruption to
the fuel market occurred after
computer hackers illegally
hacked into the computer system
that is used to control the
Colonial Pipeline, which transports
fuel to numerous locations
along the eastern half
of the US, including the New
York City area.
The hack caused a temporary
shutdown of the pipeline,
creating the threat of a fuel
shortage that could potentially
affect hundreds of millions of
Americans.
In response, numerous consumers
on the East Coast have
reportedly engaged in panicbuying
of fuel, and some sellers
appear to have increased their
prices in an attempt to profit
from the increased demand.
“As New Yorkers continue to
suffer the economic impact of
Continued on Page 12
By Bert Wilkinson
For the first time in its 48-year
history, the Caribbean Community’s
Guyana-based executive
secretariat will be headed up by
a woman, assisted by another.
On Tuesday, regional leaders
meeting virtually in a special
session, decided to unanimously
select Belizean Dr. Carla Natalie
Barnett as the eighth CARICOM
secretary-general to replace outgoing
two-term chief executive,
Irwin LaRocque of Dominica
She will take up her new role on
Aug. 15, 2021.
The historic significance of
Dr. Barnett’s appointment was
not lost on regional observers
as two women — Dr. Barnett
and long serving Deputy Secretary
General Dr. Manorma
Soeknandan — were the only
two candidates to have applied
for the top CARICOM position
this time around. Soeknandan,
an accomplished veteran
of the regional system, is from
Suriname and has been toiling
as deputy chief executive since
2014. The leaders said in their
release that while both candidates
were eminently qualified
for the top chair, Barnett had
greater support over Soeknandan
as they picked her as their
unanimous candidate.
For Barnett, her appointment
gives the region the kind of
Continued on Page 12
Consumer alert on gasoline price gouging
WOMEN
AT THE
HELM
Two occupy top CARICOM
positions for first time
A positive change has fi nally come for our community.
�� It’s Our Time!
Anthony Beckford FIND OUT MORE
ON PAGE 15
PAID FOR BY ANTHONY BECKFORD FOR CITY COUNCIL
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