April 25, 2020 By Michael Dorgan City lawmakers have introduced legislation that would better protect whistleblowers from speaking out about safety practices at the workplace during COVID-19. The bill – which was introduced by Councilmembers Ben Kallos, Brad Lander and Speaker Corey Johnson at Wednesday’s City Council meeting – looks to protect essential workers from… Read more »
April 24, 2020 By Allie Griffin Queens Assembly Member Ron Kim and Brooklyn Senator Kevin Parker are calling on the mayor and schools chancellor to add anti-bullying lessons to the curriculum for New York City public school students. The lawmakers said the lessons are needed as hate crimes and violence against Asian Americans have risen… Read more »
April 24, 2020 By Allie Griffin Mayor Bill de Blasio is pushing for a rent freeze for New York City’s one million rent-stabilized tenants. The mayor is calling for a range of measures to assist New Yorkers unable to afford their rent amid the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting shutdown. He is also urging the state… Read more »
April 24, 2020 By Christian Murray The House of Representatives passed the $484 billion relief package yesterday that was supported by every House Democrat except for Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Ocasio-Cortez, who represents New York’s 14th Congressional district–the hardest hit district by COVID-19 in the nation, took exception to the bill arguing that it did little… Read more »
April 24, 2020 By Allie Griffin Dozens of poets have put together an illustration of the beauty and resilience of Queens with an interactive recorded poetry project. Queensbound, founded in 2018 by writer KC Trommer, collects poems about the borough — from Long Island City to Jamaica — and embeds audio recordings of each at… Read more »
April 23, 2020 By Allie Griffin Hospital admissions for coronavirus patients in New York City are continuing to go down, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today. On Wednesday, the number of people admitted to New York City hospitals with coronavirus symptoms was 227, a marked decline from figures of two or three weeks ago. For… Read more »
By Rosa Goldensohn, THE CITY This story was originally published on 4/22/20 by THE CITY The list of “essential” construction projects and permitted work has ballooned sixfold since Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a virtual construction shutdown last month, Department of Buildings data shows. Some 4,936 job sites are now allowed to be worked on, up… Read more »
April 23, 2020 By Allie Griffin The city is about to provide nursing homes with more staff and protective equipment. The city is sending an additional 210 clinical workers to 40 nursing homes this week, doubling the number of clinical workers it has already sent to nursing home facilities across the city. In addition, the… Read more »
April 23, 2020 By Michael Dorgan McDonald’s restaurants are offering free meals to healthcare workers and first responders as a token of appreciation for their efforts during COVID-19. The fast-food chain is dishing out one free meal per day to medical staff, police officers and firefighters at its stores in Queens and across the country… Read more »
April 22, 2020 By Michael Dorgan Council Member Costa Constantinides is backing state legislation that would cancel the rent for tenants who are unable to meet their monthly obligation as a result of the COVID-19 shutdown. Constantinides introduced a resolution in the city council Wednesday seeking the support of his colleagues to put pressure on… Read more »