Consumer Costs

What Does the Latest U.S. Military Build Up in Puerto Rico Mean?   

By GENE ROMAN
Puerto Rico has a long and proud tradition of U.S. military service. Increases in the U.S. military presence in the Caribbean have set the region on edge. According to an ABC article dated Nov. 24, entitled Top U.S. military Adviser Visits Caribbean as Trump Ramps Up Pressure on Venezuela, high level officials from the Pentagon visited troops on the Island during Thanksgiving to thank them for their service. Is this military build-up temporary, and does it presage a larger conflict with Venezuela?

Gibson & Other Elected Officials Partner with HOT 97 & Others for Tracey Towers Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaway

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-15), State Sen. Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33), Assemblymember John Zaccaro Jr. (A.D. 80), and Council Member Eric Dinowitz (C.D. 11) partnered with HOT 97, WBLS and others for their Annual Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaway at Tracey Towers on Thursday, Nov. 20, supporting Norwood and Bedford Park residents facing food insecurity ahead of Thanksgiving, which this year was Nov. 27. At the event, over 800 turkeys were distributed, along with dozens of fresh fruits and vegetables.

SNAP Payments Received as Government Shutdown Ends

By DAVID GREENE & SÍLE MOLONEY
Millions of Americans across New York and around the country have started to receive their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) benefits, after federal lawmakers passed, as reported, a resolution by a vote of 222 to 209 in the U.S. House of Representatives to end the federal government shutdown late Wednesday, Nov. 12.

Montefiore’s Project Bravo Food Pantry Marks 20 Years of Supporting The Bronx Community

By RACHAEL FEIGENBUTZ & SÍLE MOLONEY
Montefiore Health System is celebrating two decades of serving the Bronx community through its Project Bravo Food Pantry. Project Bravo is a grant-funded initiative designed to combat food insecurity for high-risk individuals and families in The Bronx. For more than 20 years, participants have received fresh produce and healthy food three days per week. In 2024 alone, 40,000 Bronxites were supported by the program.

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.