  New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced on Tuesday that he would resign, following calls for his departure after an investigation by the New York state attorney general found he’d sexually harassed multiple female employees, violating federal and state law.
“New York tough means New York loving, and I love New York,” Cuomo said at an emotional news conference, where he said he will resign from his position in 14 days. “And I love you. And everything I have ever done has been motivated by that love. And I would never want to be unhelpful in any way. And I think that given the circumstances, the best way I can help now is if I step aside and let government get back to governing.”
Nine women accused the governor of sexual harassment and inappropriate comments earlier this year, sparking an independent investigation in March. The resulting report, filed in August, painted a “deeply disturbing yet clear picture” of Cuomo’s behavior, New York state Attorney General Letitia James (D) said.
In at least one instance, investigators found that the governor and his senior team actively retaliated against a woman who accused Cuomo of sexual harassment.
“Gov. Cuomo’s administration fostered a toxic workplace that enabled harassment and created a hostile work environment where staffers did not feel comfortable coming forward with complaints about sexual harassment due to a climate of fear and given the power dynamics,” James said.
Cuomo’s resignation cuts short a three-term governorship and upends the career of a onetime Democratic Party star, marking one of the most dramatic turns of political fortune in recent U.S. history. New York Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul will replace Cuomo when his resignation is effective in two weeks, becoming the 57th governor of New York and first woman to hold the office.
Members of the U.S. military will be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine beginning next month under a plan laid out by the Pentagon and endorsed by President Joe Biden. In memos distributed to all troops, top Pentagon leaders said the vaccine is a necessary step to maintain military readiness. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the mid-September deadline could be accelerated if the vaccine receives final FDA approval or infection rates continue to rise. “I will seek the president’s approval to make the vaccines mandatory no later than mid-September, or immediately upon” licensure by the Food and Drug Administration “whichever comes first,” Austin said in his memo sent Monday, warning them to prepare for the requirement. "I was arrested in January 2018 at an anti-fascist protest of an alt-right gala in New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood. Nearly a thousand people, many of whom were Proud Boys, were celebrating the one-year anniversary of Trump’s inauguration inside a venue there. Outside, roughly a hundred protesters milled around with signs and slogans. Most, including myself, were in black bloc attire, but the protest was very tame, which was fine with me."
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