Opinion

Op-Ed: The Great American Smoke Out & Lung Cancer Awareness Month

By ANGELA HANSON
The third Thursday in November is designated as the Great American Smoke Out (GASO), which is observed annually. GASO is a potent reminder to smokers to make the commitment to live a smoke-free life and encourages smokers to stop smoking as the first step towards living a healthier lifestyle.

Inquiring Photographer: Thoughts on the Number of Illegal Smoke Shops Opening Up in The Bronx

By DAVID GREENE
This week, we asked readers their thoughts on the proliferation of illegal cannabis stores opening up in Bronx communities. As reported, Assembly Member John Zaccaro Jr. recently carried out two different raids in Assembly District 80, targeting illegal stores, as community boards across the City continue to assess the situation in efforts to balance everyone’s rights in the context of the license application process. 

Inquiring Photographer: Thoughts on Funding Family Members to Care for their Children at Home

By DAVID GREENE
This week, we asked readers their thoughts on a proposal to include funding in the City budget to pay family members who don’t wish to leave their kids at a daycare to care for young children directly. As reported, the proposal was made by Otoniel Feliz-Samboy, the father of one-year-old Nicholas Dominici, who tragically died after he was apparently fatally poisoned with fentanyl at Divino Niño Daycare Center in Kingsbridge Heights on Friday, Sept. 15, as reported. 

Op-Ed: A Reckoning Arrives Over Campus Sexual Assaults

By FRANK AUSTIN
The persistence of sexual assault has always relied on an imbalance of power, particularly on college campuses. Whether it’s the violence of the assault, the reliance on public pressure and intimidation to keep victims silent, or the power of universities to manage their reputations, well-funded and well-connected institutions have relied on a lopsided justice system rife with insanely short statutes of limitations, and a culture of shame to protect their interests and silence those who dare speak out and share their story.

Inquiring Photographer: Thoughts on Pilot Program Allowing Some Lightweight E-Bikes in Parks

By DAVID GREENE
This week, we asked readers their thoughts on the pilot program launched by the City’s Parks’ department in June 2023, as reported, which allows Class 1, 2 and 3 e-bikes and lighter-weight e-scooters on city park drives and greenways. A map is available at nyc.gov/parks/ebikes, showing the greenways and drives that fall under the program, along with a multilingual survey to obtain feedback.

Inquiring Photographer: Thoughts on New Tiered Policing Approach to Spontaneous Protests

By DAVID GREENE
This week, following the settlement, as reported, of various legal cases in relation to the NYPD’s handling of the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, and the announcement of a new tiered, policing approach to the handling of future spontaneous protests in New York City, we asked readers if they had faith that the new approach, which has been agreed with the protestors’ defense attorneys and which is subject to review, will work.