“With his smooth baritone voice and charisma, Cheo Feliciano helped catapult salsa to an international stage. His entrancing performance of “El Ratón” in Kinshasa, where he and the Fania All Stars had to compete with thunderous applause, stands as one of the most memorable showcases of salsa’s “dream team.”

Whether he was paying homage to a Taino queen or crooning about heartache, audiences from New York to Japan were electrified by the beloved Cheo, who made El Barrio/East Harlem his home during the height of Puerto Rican migration to the Big Apple.

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Leaders of LGBT Groups Voice Support for Proposed City Identification Card Program

New York, NY- Leaders and advocates for several LGBT groups voiced their support the proposed Municipal Identification Card program introduced by the City Council last week. Full statements of support can be found below:

“The LGBT Law Project at NYLAG applauds Mayor de Blasio, Speaker Mark-Viverito, and City Council Members Dromm and Menchaca for spearheading this critically important bill that would help ensure that transgender and gender non-conforming New Yorkers have access to valid identification cards that accurately reflect their gender.

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“I want to commend Mayor de Blasio, Speaker Mark-Viverito, and Council Members Dromm and Menchaca for their efforts to establish a municipal identification program that will allow more than half a million people in New York City to access critical services that would otherwise have been unavailable to them. Currently, New York City residents who lack legal status are often unable to obtain services from government agencies – or even to enter government buildings such as City Hall – without identification.

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Leaders of Various Advocacy Groups Voice Support for Proposed City Identification Card Program

New York, NY- Leaders from several advocacy groups focused on issues including immigration, homelessness, and LGBT rights have offered statements of support for the City Council’s new legislation to establish a citywide identification card program for New Yorkers. Statements can be found below:

“The New York City Identity Cards are an important step toward equality and inclusion for all New Yorkers.

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Council Will Also Vote on Bill Requiring Carbon Monoxide Detectors in Public Assembly Places

New York, NY- Today, City Council will introduce legislation to create a city-wide Municipal Identification Card program. The Council will also vote on legislation to require carbon monoxide detectors in assembly spaces.

Council to Introduce Municipal ID Legislation

For various reasons, many current New York City residents are unable to obtain New York State photo identification cards.

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“My thoughts and prayers are with Officer Dennis Guerra’s family, friends and the whole NYPD community today. Officer Guerra’s courage and willingness to protect New Yorkers at the risk of his own life is an inspiration and reminder of the daily risks NYPD officers and other first responders make every day. I extend my deepest sympathies to his family during this terribly tragic time.”

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“Equal Pay Day is a stark reminder of the work that still needs to be done before we can put an end to the pervasive pay gap between men and women in our country. Fifty years after the Equal Pay Act was signed by President Kennedy, women in New York still make just 84 percent of the wages that men do.

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NYC Identity Card Will Make it Easier for New Yorkers to Prove Identities and Access City Services

City Hall- City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Immigration Committee Chair Carlos Menchaca and Council Member Daniel Dromm today announced the introduction of legislation to provide New Yorkers with municipal identification cards – the New York City Identity Card- that will facilitate New Yorkers access to City services.

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New York, NY – In a letter, New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito urged Leslie Moonves, Chairman of CBS, to continue producing and filming CBS’ The Late Show in New York City. Speaker Mark-Viverito wrote that after long-time Late Show Host David Letterman retires, the popular late night talk show should remain in New York because of the history between New York City and The Late Show along with New York City’s commitment to being a home to TV and film production.

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Spanning 40 neighborhoods, participatory budgeting allows New Yorkers to directly decide how to allocate public funds

City Hall – City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and Council Members today released locations where New Yorkers can cast a ballot in the week-long 2014 Participatory Budgeting vote. Launched in 2011, with the goal of making budgeting decisions more transparent and to give New Yorkers a greater say in how their tax dollars are spent, Participatory Budgeting has grown to encompass 10 Council Districts, allowing New Yorkers to directly decide how allocate more than $10 million dollars for neighborhood projects.

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