Page 8 - QT Edition #5 01-29-26

PAGE 8 THE QUEENS TIMES THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2026

Charles B. Wang Community Health Center Hosts A Statement From Governor Hochul
Free Community Baby Shower for Expecting Parents “The New York State Consti-
And Announces Funding tution guarantees the principles

(Continued from page 7) couragement from your support plans and offers comprehensive of fair representation, and New
Yorkers in every community
Team members will be on site to systems, and with practice, you primary care services to children deserve these protections. The
talk with expecting parents and can be successful!” and adults including Internal court’s decision underscores the
their support systems about health About the Charles B. Wang Medicine, Pediatrics, OB/GYN, importance of these constitu-
resources and information for Community Health Center - For Dental Care, Primary Eye Care, tional principles and directs the
navigating a healthy pregnancy more than 50 years, the Charles B. and Mental Health, across six lo- congressional map be redrawn
and birth. Yajie Zhu, Director Wang Community Health Center cations in Manhattan and Queens. by the New York Independent
of Health Education, will be (CBWCHC) has been a leading CBWCHC’s legacy of excellence Redistricting Commission so
available to discuss what parents health care provider dedicated to is nationally recognized with its impacted communities are fully
planning to breastfeed may expect delivering high-quality, afford- commitment to ensure equitable represented and have a voice in
when starting their breastfeeding able health care to underserved access to health care for all, re- our democracy.”
journey. Dr. Zhu shares, “Breast- communities with a focus on gardless of ability to pay, language
feeding can be hard, especially in Asian Americans. Open seven spoken, or immigration history. AG James Demands More Action From
the beginning, but with support days a week, CBWCHC accepts For more information, visit www. xAI to Stop Grok Chatbot From
from events like this, with en- most major health insurance cbwchc.org.
AM Colton, CM Zhuang Throw Support Behind New Producing Inappropriate Images to
Protect Children And Adult Users
Community Effort to Thwart Homeless Shelter
Bipartisan Coalition of AGs it intends to:
(Continued from page 7) accommodations without an ac- cess because city government Call on xAI to Share its Plans • Take all necessary measures to
tive contract, then they should only notified us of an incoming to Eliminate Nonconsensual ensure that Grok is no longer ca-
actually benefiting the homeless be subject to a City Planning homeless shelter after the deci- Images Created by Grok and pable of producing nonconsensual
people it is ostensibly being built Commission special permit and sion was made for us, not with us. Suspend Users Who Created intimate images, including non-
to serve, just to enrich greedy public review.” The motion will That started before I took office. Harmful Content consensual images that fall short
developers and shelter operators; be voted on by the full board, Now we see disregard for our of depicting full nudity or graphic
a better solution, they insist, is us- whose actions are advisory only, immigrant community continued New York Attorney General sexual conduct but depict people
ing the billions of taxpayer dollars at its February meeting. through every step of the develop- Letitia James and a bipartisan in bikinis, underwear, revealing
now funneled into the shelter sys- The fight will continue until ment process.” coalition of 34 other attorneys clothing, or suggestive poses, and
tem to build permanent affordable the community triumphs, the two “We will not give up,” As- general demanded that xAI take child sexual abuse material;
housing with supportive services. elected officials vowed. semblyman Colton said. “We are additional steps to protect users • Eliminate inappropriate,
On January 22, Community “When my community came to going to keep asking questions from inappropriate images and nonconsensual content that has
Board 11’s Planning and Zoning my office with stacks of records and raising objections till the city content created by its AI chatbot already been produced;
Committee held a meeting and that demonstrated clear negli- and the developer finally under- Grok and shared on the social • Suspend users who have cre-
voted unanimously (with one gence and corruption by the city stand that we will persist till we media platform X. In a letter to ated these materials;
recusal) in support of a motion and developer, I was floored,” have won.” xAI, the attorneys general write • Report these creators and users
contending that, “If approvals said Councilmember Zhuang. The meeting was held at Health that the company’s recent changes to the relevant authorities;
are issued to develop transient “We first fought about the pro- Essentials, 2336 86th Street. to Grok are not enough to protect • Grant X users control over
children and women users who are whether their content can be
Statement From Assemblywoman Alicia L. Hyndman, on being harassed with inappropriate, edited by Grok, including at a
Governor Hochul’s FY 2027 Executive Budget Proposal nonconsensual images. The coali- minimum the ability to easily
tion is calling on xAI to explain prohibit the @Grok account from
fill the gaps in federal student aid. City, the $500 million investment how it intends to ensure that Grok responding to their posts or edit-
The Governor’s commitment to all in Universal 2K and the expansion is unable to create nonconsensual ing their images when prompted
students and institutions provides of the universal school meals pro- images, eliminate the inappropri- by another user; and
the flexibility for students to at- gram represent a holistic approach ate content created by Grok, and • Ensure that the recently an-
tend the college of their choice. to the ‘P-20’ pipeline. We know suspend users who created the nounced safeguards do not merely
In addition, the Governor’s that the journey to a Master’s harmful content. place NCII creation behind a
support for our public univer- degree begins in the high-quality “I am deeply disturbed by re- paywall, but actually mitigate its
sity systems should be applauded. child care centers and classrooms ports that Grok created and shared production throughout X and the
The Executive budget proposal of our local neighborhoods. inappropriate images of women Grok platform.
to freeze tuition at SUNY and While the Governor has identi- and children, and that is why I am This is the latest effort by At-
CUNY is essential to ensuring our fied significant challenges stem- joining a bipartisan coalition of torney General James to protect
public systems remain affordable ming from federal funding volatil- my colleagues to demand answers children online and hold tech
and accessible. I am particularly ity, New York’s fiscal discipline from the company,” said Attorney companies accountable. Last
heartened by the $90 million in has provided us with a ‘boat built General James. “xAI claims that it month, Attorney General James
additional operating support for to withstand the storm.’ However, has made changes to address this and a bipartisan coalition of 41
our public campuses. This invest- as Chair, I will be working closely problem, but more must be done other attorneys general sent a let-
A s s e m b l y w o ma n A l i c i a ment is a necessary recognition with my colleagues in the Legis- ensure that Grok is not creating ter to Big Tech companies urging
Hyndman, Chair of the Assembly that our public institutions must be lature to ensure that this surplus child sex abuse materials and them to implement safeguards on
Committee on Higher Education, properly funded to maintain high- is utilized to its fullest potential, other nonconsensual images. I will AI chatbots to protect children and
issued the following statement quality services while we hold the particularly as we confront new continue to work together with my vulnerable people. In November
regarding Governor Kathy Ho- line on tuition. Furthermore, the federal constraints on student loan colleagues to hold the company 2024, Attorney General James led
chul’s FY 2027 Executive Budget strategic shift in nursing retrain- availability and family borrowing accountable and protect children a bipartisan coalition of 36 attor-
proposal: ing eligibility is a common-sense that stand to close off access to and all online users.” neys general in urging Congress
victory. By allowing New Yorkers critical degree programs in both xAI owns and operates Grok, to reject language in a military
“The Executive Budget pro- who already hold degrees to pivot the public and private sectors of an artificial intelligence chatbot, spending plan that that would pre-
posal presented earlier this week into nursing, we are not only ad- higher education, undermining that has been creating and sharing vent states from passing or enforc-
reflects a significant moment for dressing our healthcare crisis but affordability and workforce readi- nonconsensual explicit images ing laws to regulate AI. In June
New York’s students and working also creating a more flexible and ness in key fields. New York’s of women and children. Grok al- 2024, Attorney General James
families. As Chair of the Higher robust workforce pipeline. independent colleges and univer- lowed users to alter innocuous announced that nation-leading
Education Committee, I am en- The Executive budget also sities educate a significant share images of women, without their legislation to combat addictive so-
couraged to see the Governor’s provides funding for additional of the state’s students and play a knowledge or consent, depicting cial media feeds and protect kids
overall commitment to maintain- scholarship programs to promote critical role in meeting workforce them in suggestive and sexually online has been signed into law.
ing affordability for students to nursing, teaching, and a contin- and community needs, and must explicit scenarios and “undress- Joining Attorney General James
attend public and private colleges ued commitment to support our be fully included as state policy ing” them to show them in bikinis, in sending the letter are the attor-
in New York. A college degree opportunity programs. These in- responds to these federal changes. underwear, or nothing at all. The neys general of American Samoa,
remains the most effective engine vestments are critical to ensuring I will endeavor to ensure that all of attorneys general write that some Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut,
for social and economic mobility, we have the necessary workforce New York’s colleges and univer- users are seeking Grok’s AI im- Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas,
and we must ensure that the cost and will significantly advance our sities are equipped to uphold the age editing feature to embarrass, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland,
of that degree never becomes a goal to keep New York students in gold standard of education, and intimidate, and exploit people. Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada,
barrier to the New York dream. New York after graduation. that New York’s higher education The coalition asserts that the New Hampshire, New Jersey,
Continued funding for the Tuition Living in a time of unprec- ecosystem remains strong, acces- creation and dissemination of New Mexico, North Carolina,
Assistance Program, the En- edented revenue growth - with a sible, and resilient. child sexual abuse material is a North Dakota, Northern Mariana
hanced Tuition Award Program, projected $17 billion surplus over I look forward to a rigorous crime, and that various state and Islands, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn-
and Excelsior Scholarship will the next two years - New York is hearing process and to working federal civil and criminal laws sylvania, Rhode Island, South
allow students who qualify to in a unique position to be both a with the Governor and my col- also forbid the creation of non- Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virgin
receive state supported grants that responsible steward and a bold in- leagues to deliver a final budget consensual intimate images. The Islands, Washington, Wisconsin,
will help not only offset the cost vestor. For our neighbors in South- that puts students, educators, and attorneys general are demanding Wyoming, and the District of
of higher education but will help east Queens and across New York working families first. that xAI immediately detail how Columbia.