Aug. 29, 2020 By Allie Griffin The MTA warned of huge service reductions, fare hikes and mass layoffs if the federal government doesn’t step in and provide aid to the cash-strapped agency. The MTA needs $12 billion in federal funding immediately to avoid “draconian” and “unthinkable” measures to alleviate its massive deficit caused by the… Read more »
Aug. 26, 2020 By Allie Griffin The city began inspecting air ventilation systems at classrooms Tuesday, with less than three weeks before public schools reopen, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced yesterday. Every classroom and space inside a school building will be inspected by a team of independent engineers, joined by the Department of Buildings and… Read more »
Aug. 25, 2020 By Allie Griffin Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney penned a letter to the City University of New York (CUNY) urging the administration to reverse its decision to layoff nearly 3,000 employees. CUNY decided to not renew the contracts of about 2,800 employees — mostly adjunct professors and part time staff members — across its… Read more »
Aug. 25, 2020 By Allie Griffin Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday that schools can apply to the City to hold classes outside in schoolyards, local parks and closed streets to limit the spread of coronavirus. Schools that don’t have usable outdoor space within their campuses, as well as schools in neighborhoods that were hit… Read more »
Aug. 18, 2020 By Allie Griffin Nearly 30 percent of Queens residents who have been tested for coronavirus antibodies appear to have been infected with the deadly virus at some point, new data shows. The NYC Health Dept released data today that revealed that 28 percent of the 477,450 Queens residents who have been tested… Read more »
Aug. 18, 2020 By Allie Griffin A 34-year-old man died in a fiery crash on the Jackie Robinson Parkway Monday night. The man, who had a female passenger in the vehicle, was driving a 2008 Infiniti sedan westbound on the parkway near the Forest Park Drive exit around 10:47 p.m. when he drove into a… Read more »
Aug. 17, 2020 By Allie Griffin Three pedestrian plazas and one block in Queens will be made into outdoor dining corridors for nearby restaurants as the latest locations added to the city initiative to support local eateries. Corona Plaza in Corona, Diversity Plaza in Jackson Heights and 71st Avenue Plaza in Ridgewood will get more… Read more »
Aug. 17, 2020 By Allie Griffin Work out aficionados can rejoice as gyms and fitness centers will be able to reopen next week after nearly five months of statewide closures, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced today. Gyms are permitted to reopen as soon as Monday, Aug. 24, subject to several restrictions. The operators, for instance, must… Read more »
Aug. 17, 2020 By Allie Griffin Former Queens Borough President Claire Shulman, the first woman to hold the position, died Sunday at the age of 94. Shulman, who served as borough president from 1986 to 2002, had long suffered from lung and pancreatic cancer. She died in her home Sunday surrounded by her children and… Read more »
Aug. 14, 2020 By Allie Griffin Several Queens elected officials have condemned a Democratic Socialist of America (DSA) questionnaire that calls on New York City council candidates to forgo official travel to Israel. The New York City chapter of DSA (NYC-DSA) questionnaire asks council candidates if they “pledge not to travel to Israel if elected… Read more »