Author: Czarinna

Gianaris Calls for Rent Suspension for Small Businesses and Residents Amid Crisis

March 20, 2020 By Christian Murray State Sen. Mike Gianaris is calling for a 90-day suspension of residential and commercial rent for tenants and small businesses impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Under Gianaris’ proposal, residential and commercial tenants would have 90 days of rent forgiven if they lost their work or closed due to the… Read more »

Rikers Inmate Tests Positive for COVID-19; City to Release 40 Vulnerable Inmates

March 20, 2020 By Allie Griffin New York City will release 40 inmates on Rikers Island who are vulnerable of complications associated with the novel coronavirus, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday. The individuals have been chosen based on specific health vulnerabilities and their low-risk status, as non-threatening and unlikely to reoffend. The NYPD and… Read more »

Local Leaders Blast Trump for Referring to COVID-19 as the China Virus

March 19, 2020 By Michael Dorgan A number of local leaders have condemned U.S. President Donald Trump and some media pundits–such as Tucker Carlson– for labeling the coronavirus the “China virus.” They argue that the use of the term is racist and inflaming discriminatory attacks against New York’s Asian population. Trump has repeatedly used the… Read more »

Defendants to be Arraigned via Video Conferencing: Queens DA

March 18, 2020 By Christian Murray The Queens District Attorney’s office plans to facilitate the arraignment of defendants via video conferencing in an attempt to keep employees and alleged criminals safe from COVID-19. Melinda Katz, Queens District Attorney, announced yesterday that her office has taken a number of steps to protect defendants, victims, witnesses and… Read more »

Cuomo Orders Businesses to Keep Half their Workers Home, COVID-19 Cases Hit 2K

March 18, 2020 By Allie Griffin Prompted by the number of coronavirus cases across New York state surpassing 2,000, Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered all businesses to keep half their workforce home or working remotely. The executive order — which goes into effect Friday — is meant to reduce density of people and reduce the spread… Read more »

MTA Requests $4 Billion Bailout Due To Coronavirus

March 18, 2020 By Michael Dorgan The MTA has requested a $4 billion federal bailout to offset the impact coronavirus is having on the agency as ridership levels plummet and costs to combat the virus increase. In an urgent letter to New York’s congressional delegation, MTA Chairman and CEO Patrick Foye said the transportation authority… Read more »

De Blasio Suspends Uber, Lyft Ride-Sharing

March 18, 2020 By Christian Murray Forget about the inexpensive Uber ride-share option. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced yesterday that he has signed an executive order than bans shared rides in an effort to promote social distancing. “We want to protect drivers and we want to protect riders alike,” the Mayor said during a press… Read more »