Education

University Heights: Sepúlveda Presents $50,000 Check to NMIC Nonprofit to Support Bronx Families

By SÍLE MOLONEY
In the face of imminent federal cuts, as reported, State Sen. Luis R. Sepúlveda (S.D. 32) presented a check for $50,000 in funding to the Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC), during a formal ceremony on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at NMIC’s University Heights-based Bronx office, in what the senator’s team said was a recognition of NMIC’s “invaluable community work and dedication to the progress and well-being of families in Upper Manhattan and The Bronx.”

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.

Op-Ed: Creative Arts Therapy, A Lifeline for New Yorkers in Crisis

By MARIA PATUHAS
As a social worker working on an acute psychiatric unit in The Bronx, I see every day how creative arts therapists make a profound difference in the lives of some of our city’s most vulnerable residents. It’s time for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to make creative arts therapy accessible outside of the hospital, too, by signing S1001/A3391 into law [https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S1001].

Mayor Announces First in Nation 911 Rapid Response Technology for Active Shooters in Public Schools

By SÍLE MOLONEY
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Matthew Fraser announced Monday, Oct. 27, the nation’s first pilot program directly integrating public schools with 911 services for life-saving rapid response in case of an active shooter situation. City officials said more than 1,900 K-12 school shooting incidents occurred in the United States between 2015 and September 2025, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database, and K-12 school shootings peaked at 351 in 2023. They said another 336 occurred in 2024.  

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.