Elections

UPDATE Bedford Park: “Alien” Arrested by ICE Agents as Council Seeks to Block Rikers Island ICE Office

By SÍLE MOLONEY & M. QUIÑONES
As Bronxites remain on edge amid news of ongoing deportations, including those of some on working visas, ICE officials now confirm that an “alien” with a criminal record was arrested at gunpoint in the Bedford Park section of The Bronx on Tuesday afternoon, April 15. When asked, an NYPD spokesperson said the department had no arrest on file for the location in question.

Salamanca Secures Spot on Democratic Ballot for Election as Bronx BP

By SÍLE MOLONEY
City Council Member Rafael Salamanca Jr. (C.D. 17) announced on Wednesday, April 2, that he has submitted over 11,000 petition signatures to NYC Board of Elections to officially qualify for the ballot in the upcoming Democratic primary race for Bronx borough president which takes place in June 2025.

Op-Ed: Why I Oppose Gov. Hochul’s Proposed Mask Restrictions

By J. GOODMAN
Regarding Gov. Hochul’s proposed mask ban, which she seeks to bundle into New York’s upcoming state budget (due to be finalized by March 31), I oppose the ban. As a disabled Jewish woman who engages in activism, I find the possible codification of this measure to be a horrific violation of human and civil rights, in multiple ways:

UPDATE Danielle Guggenheim Petitions to Run in Council District 11

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Petitioning is underway for those seeking to get on the electoral ballot to become candidates in the upcoming June primaries in New York City, and Danielle Herbert Guggenheim, a self-described, single mother, Black and Caribbean American who has served 25 years with the City’s Board of Education, and has tutored children with special needs, is among them.

Ocasio-Cortez Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Cap Credit Card Interest Rates at 10%

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), a Democrat, and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (FL-13), a Republican representing Florida, introduced legislation that would immediately cap credit card interest rates at 10%. U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT), an independent representing Vermont, and Josh Hawley (R-MO), a Republican representing Missouri, introduced companion legislation last month in the Senate.