Blog

Former District 15 City Council Candidate, Troy Blackwell, Forms “Ready for Change” PAC

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Troy Blackwell, an Afro-Latino voting rights activist and former District 15 City Council candidate, as reported, has founded “Ready for Change,” a political action committee dedicated to promoting youth voter education and supporting “forward-thinking Democrats” at the local and state level. According to Blackwell, Ready for Change aims to make democracy more representative by increasing voter participation among youth, especially youth of color.   Blackwell will lead the PAC and oversee potential partnerships. Educational resources will be provided in English, Spanish, Arabic, and French to reach diverse voters, and the key issues the PAC will focus on include climate change,


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U.S. News Ranks Lehman College No. 4 in Social Mobility Among Regional Colleges

By SÍLE MOLONEY
U.S. News and World Report released its annual “Best Colleges” rankings on Sept. 13, with Lehman College claiming top spots across a range of categories.   Among regional universities in the north, the college ranked as follows: 14 on the list of top public schools; 4 among the top performers for social mobility; 20 on the most innovative schools list; 14 for best undergraduate teaching; and 23 as one of the best colleges for veterans.   The rankings evaluated some 1,466 U.S. bachelor’s degree-granting institutions on up to 17 measures of academic quality. Lehman is categorized as a regional university because


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Kids Return to In-Person Learning at Public Schools 18 Months after NYS “PAUSE” Order

By DAVID GREENE
Many of New York City’s 1.1 million school children who were sent home in March 2020 when then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a statewide “PAUSE” order, amid the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, returned to their classrooms on Monday, Sept. 13, as the City reopened public schools for in-person learning once again.   After joining NYC Schools Chancellor, Meisha Porter, at P.S. 25 Bilingual School on East 149th Street in the Woodstock section of the South Bronx on Monday morning, Mayor Bill de Blasio later held a press briefing at City Hall. “This is the day New York City’s comeback is


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UPDATE: Bronx Legislators, Activists Call Out City Plan to End “Solitary Confinement”

By DAWN CLANCY
When Melania Brown, 33, heard that New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio had publicly vowed in June 2020 to end solitary confinement, Brown hoped she might finally make good on a promise she, herself, had made to her deceased sister.   Brown’s younger sister, Layleen Polanco, 27, a transgender woman, died a preventable death following an epileptic seizure on June 7, 2019, while she was held in segregated confinement on Rikers Island. As reported last year, activists have long alleged that solitary confinement has killed and destroyed the lives of countless Black people and other People of Color, and


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New Yorkers Gather to Remember the Victims of the September 11th Attacks, 20 Years Later

By DAVID GREENE
Twenty years after 2,753 people were tragically killed when two hijacked jetliners crashed into the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan on 9/11, family members, friends and strangers once again paused to remember them at gatherings held across New York City on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. Those who gathered at the memorial reflecting pool, and around the 16-acre site where the Twin Towers once stood comprised a much smaller crowd this year than the tens of thousands who have come to pay their respect in years past.   Joined our first responders at @NYPDTransit Transit District 11 to reflect and


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In the Wake of Storm Ida, FEMA Warns Flood Victims to Beware of Fraud & Scams

By SÍLE MOLONEY  
Officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have warned that after a disaster, scam artists, identity thieves and other criminals often attempt to take advantage of disaster survivors. Federal and state emergency management officials are urging New York residents to watch for and report any suspicious activity.   When a disaster strikes, unscrupulous people may try to take advantage of survivors by posing as official disaster-aid workers or even as relatives trying to help survivors complete their applications, officials warned.   They said common post-disaster fraud practices include the following: Fake Offers of State or Federal Aid Federal and


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FEMA & State Officials Issue Tips on How to Speed Up Disaster Assistance

By SÍLE MOLONEY  
State officials, as well as those from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), who are helping New Yorkers recover from the remnants of Hurricane Ida have shared some tips on how to speed up receipt of disaster aid, as follows: Registering online is the fastest way to access FEMA assistance. Download the FEMA app or visit disasterassistance.gov. Not only can you register here, you can check the status of your claim, upload requested documents, and access FEMA downloadable pamphlets and other aids. You can also register by telephone calling 800-621-3362. Individuals who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use


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Laconia: Search for Missing 13-Year-Old Girl

By SÍLE MOLONEY  
The NYPD is seeking the public’s assistance in locating a 13-year-old girl who has been reported missing from the 49th precinct in the Laconia section of the Bronx. It was reported to police that Shiloh Lalondriz, 13, was last seen on Sept. 9, at approximately 6.30 p.m., in front of her home at 2725 Throop Avenue in Laconia.   She is described as female, weighs approximately 123 pounds, is Hispanic, is 5 feet, 6 inches tall, has brown eyes and brown hair. She was last seen wearing a blue shirt with a “2” printed on the back, blue socks and


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New York State Eviction Moratorium Extension Follows Bronx Rally   

By SARAH HUFFMAN
  A housing rally organized by Congressman Ritchie Torres (NY-15) in Hunts Point on Aug. 3 achieved the desired result: an extension of the State eviction moratorium. In addition, the State moratorium offers greater protections than its federal counterpart, which is also fortunate as in the meantime, the federal moratorium extension has been struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.   Torres was joined at the Aug. 3 rally, held at 1231 Lafayette Avenue, by New York City Council Member Vanessa Gibson (C.D. 16) and advocates from Community Action for Safe Apartments (CASA), the Supportive Housing Network of New York,


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