By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon UN censors
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN
NEW YORK, SDNY & EDNY, Oct 15 – The difference between retail and wholesale politics was again on display on August 27 and again October 15, in town halls to The Bronx and Queens.
On August 27 Inner City Press asked if the Biden Administration is yet doing enough about bank redlining, and got an answer, below.
On October 15 Inner City Press asked about the Pandora Papers, US trusts and the United Nations, and did not. Inner City Press asked:
"AOC cited the Pro Publica Papers and Rep Huffman said the Pandora Papers don't show US billionaires going offshore. But they DO show foreign deposits using trusts in US states: South Dakota was home to 81 trusts being used by those studies; another 37 were in Florida, and 33 were located in Delaware. What do the Reps think should and can be done at this, at not only the state but also Federal level. And, if possible, what is their view / understanding of the nomination of Saule Omarova to head the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency? What are her views / history on Community Reinvestment Act, and what SHOULD she do? Thanks, -Matthew Russell Lee, Inner City Press."
Inner City Press also asked, again, about the UN banning a media from AOC's district. Watch this site.
On August 27 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.
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