civil rights

Op-Ed: It’s Time for Albany to Stand Up to PBMs and Protect Patients 

By ADAM AGOVINO
Pharmacies are closing at a pace our communities cannot afford. In 2024, according to NYC Center for an Urban Future, 10% of all New York City pharmacies shut down. Behind these closures is a quiet but devastating force: Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). These powerful middlemen dictate what pharmacies are paid for prescriptions, and too often, they set reimbursement rates so low that pharmacies lose money with every prescription they fill.

An Overview of Puerto Rico’s Political Status and Future

By GENE ROMAN
Puerto Rico’s political future is never far from the minds of its citizens and in recent months, its political status has, once again, been the subject of debate. Puerto Rico (the “Island”) is a territory of the United States. The U.S. acquired the Island from Spain in 1898, and it has belonged to the United States ever since. In 1917, Puerto Ricans became U.S. citizens. Everyone born in Puerto Rico is a citizen of the United States, but Puerto Rico is not a state; it continues to be a territory.

UPDATE Amid Federal Shutdown Hochul Announces $30M in Emergency Food Assistance Funds

By SÍLE MOLONEY
New York Gov. Hochul held a rally on Monday, Oct. 27, with New Yorkers impacted by what were described as Washington Republicans’ devastating cuts to health care, food assistance and other critical programs. State officials said with nearly three million New Yorkers at risk of losing the food assistance they usually receive through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) starting Nov. 1 due to the GOP’s federal government shutdown, the governor announced the same day that she is also fast-tracking $30 million in State funds to support over 16 million meals.

Member of Norwood-based Running Group “Bronx Nomads” Detained by ICE

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Sebastian Flores, a member of Norwood-based running group, Bronx Nomads, who frequently meet and start their runs at the Williamsbridge Oval park, was unexpectedly detained by border patrol at an airport on Oct. 13 while traveling for work from New York to El Paso, Texas, and is now being held in ICE custody, according to his cousins. A gofundme page has since been set-up to help with his legal expenses as he fights his case and has been shared by Bronx Sole, an affiliate group of Bronx Nomads.  

UPDATE Mamdani Asks Voters to Reject Islamophobia & See Him as Candidate “Fighting for Every Single New Yorker”

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Democratic mayoral nominee and still the frontrunner according to the latest polls, Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani (A.D. 36) was back in The Bronx on Friday, Oct. 24, for another press conference, this time, held outside the Islamic Cultural Center of The Bronx, located at 371 E 166th Street, north of the Melrose section of The Bronx, as he asked voters to reject tired Islamophobic tropes and reiterated that he aims to be a mayor “fighting for every single New Yorker.” Members of the press corps included international media outlets from the UK (BBC), France and Germany.

Former NY Gov. & Mayoral Candidate Andrew Cuomo Visits Wakefield Mosque on Campaign Tour

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Former New York governor and independent mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo, 67, paid a visit to the Masjid Ansarudeen Islamic Center in the Wakefield section of The Bronx on Saturday, Sept. 20, to meet with members of the mosque and “discuss issues important to the community.” The former governor has received heat for allegedly not having visited a mosque during his tenure as governor though he disputes this. 

UPDATE AG Charges RCI Strip Clubs with Multimillion Dollar Tax Fraud and Bribery of State Tax Auditor

By SÍLE MOLONEY
  Editor’s Note: In an earlier version of this story, we reported incorrectly that the AG announced the indictment on Oct. 23. In fact, it was on Sept. 16. We apologize for this error.  New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Sept. 16 the indictments of top executives of RCI Hospitality Holdings, Inc. (RCI), a company that owns and operates strip clubs throughout the country, for their roles in a major, multimillion dollar criminal tax fraud and bribery scheme.   Officials from the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) said an an OAG investigation revealed that RCI executives bribed an auditor


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