By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon UN censors
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN
NEW YORK, SDNY & EDNY, August 27 – The difference between retail and wholesale politics was again on display Friday night, in a town hall to The Bronx and Queens, when Inner City Press asked if the Biden Administration is yet doing enough about bank redlining. (Video to come).
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez held a Zoom town hall, after which she took press questions.
Inner City Press asked, ""Does Rep. Ocasio-Cortez think the administration's bank regulators have moved fast enough to increase scrutiny of redlining, predatory lending and other abuses?"
Rep. Ocasio-Cortez said, in short, No. Acknowledging that it only scraped the surface, she said credit reporting agencies and banks have a conflict of interest: they profit from keeping consumers' credit scores down. She said there should be a public alternative - and invited Inner City Press (and presumably Fair Finance Watch) to specify work that needs to be done. That would be, bank-friendly merger reviews which have weakened the Community Reinvestment Act. We'll have more on that - and on the UN's continuing ban on Inner City Press.
Inner City Press on August 27 also submitted a question about the United Nations - not answer answered - while the head of UN Media Accreditation Melissa Fleming continues to ban Bronx-based Inner City Press from even entering again to ask questions. This must be addressed before UNGA Week, September 21.
Previously in March 2021, here was not much on international affairs (for example Tuesday's life sentence for Honduras' president's brother for narco-trafficking, on which Inner City Press was interviewed on UNeTV, here and here from 3:10), much less the United Nations, which continues to ban Bronx-based Inner City Press. Time for a Constitutional constituent inquiry, despite impunity?
Then there was a press gaggle, also on Zoom. Inner City Press was told to ask its questions there, and submitted: "On the PPP program, in the first round(s) only 12% of NYC small businesses got PPP loans, versus 24% in Nebraska. And in The Bronx, the rate of PPP lending was every lower. What is being done to make the program and banks more accountable? And, if you have any thoughts on Sen Schumer's recent nominations to head the US Attorney's Offices in SDNY and EDNY."
Perhaps it was the tech glitches, or the lateness of the hour (7:50 pm). But the questions were not then answered. Now the bank regulation question has been, for a start. Watch this site.
***
Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron.
