Op-Ed: The Governor’s Plan will Create More Kalief Browders

By AKEEM BROWDER

The death of my brother, Kalief Browder, sparked an international outcry, not just because of the terrible injustices he faced, but because he defied the odds, refused to plead guilty to a crime he did not commit, and demanded fairness. In honor of his fight, I have been demanding fairness, too, through The Kalief Browder Foundation. Now is a moment when we must all rise up to stop a new plan by Gov. Kathy Hochul that could lead to countless more tragedies like the one my family suffered. You may be familiar with the story: As a child of 16,

By SÍLE MOLONEY

One fire truck and a handful of firefighters responded to a report of a brush fire that broke out in Whalen playground at East 205th Street and Perry Avenue in the Norwood section of The Bronx on Friday afternoon, March 10. A brush fire is a fire involving low-growing plants. Eyewitnesses said some people had already tried to put out the fire a bit, before the FDNY arrived at around 3.44 p.m., as it had started to spread. The FDNY later said they were alerted to the incident at 3.38 p.m., that there were no reported injuries, and

By DAVID GREENE

This week, we asked readers their thoughts on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “I feel that with this war, the Russians are unjust at what they’re doing…like a bully, and I’m glad that people of other countries are coming together and putting the pressure on him [President Vladimir Putin]. I don’t think it’s going to last too much longer. If you don’t have money, you can’t run a country, right? That’s how I feel about it. But I hope that this thing stops soon, because it’s going to spread like cancer in Europe if it doesn’t. He’s

By GENE ROMAN

After five years of haggling, debate, and protests, Chief Judge Laura Taylor Swain of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York finally approved a debt restructuring agreement for Puerto Rico in January. The Fiscal, Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico (FOMB) was able to reduce the government of Puerto Rico’s total debt obligations from $33 billion to $7.4 billion, according to recent reporting by The New York Times. FOMB was created under the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act of 2016. It consists of seven members appointed by the President

By DAVID GREENE

This week, amid the mayor’s plan to remove people experiencing homelessness and who have mental health issues from the subway system, we asked readers if they felt safe riding the subway. “I take the subway. Sometimes, I feel safe, depending on the time of day. I think they’re making efforts; I’ve been watching the news recently. I think they’ve made long-term efforts, but as of today, I think the police are relaxed when it comes to looking at potential perpetrators [of crime]. I think they can strengthen their efforts and can use more soft training skills in interacting with the

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The NYPD said a 23-year-old man was shot twice in Fordham Manor on Thursday, Feb. 10. Sergeant Edward Riley, NYPD spokesperson, said officers responded to the incident which occurred in front of 2556 Davidson Avenue at 8 p.m. on Thursday. A 23-year-old male victim told police he was walking [along the street] when he heard gunfire. He then sustained two gunshots, one to his left leg and one to his left arm. The victim said the unidentified suspect fled the area in a vehicle in an unknown direction. The victim was transported by EMS to St. Barnabas Hospital.

By MICHAEL HOROWITZ

Broken windows and graffiti-laden subway cars are symbols of a society that is out of control. A permissive approach to crime is making it extremely difficult for law-abiding citizens to live in New York City. Former Police Commissioner William Bratton was credited with controlling crime between the 1990s and 2017 in Boston, New York City, and Los Angeles, through enforcing punishment for minor crimes in order to prevent major crimes. In short, enforcing the law for minor infractions of the law took criminals off the streets and sent a message that authorities were serious about cracking down on crime.

By DAVID GREENE

This week, we asked readers their thoughts on Mayor Eric Adams’ blueprint to end gun violence. “What’s going to work is if they bring back the “Stop & Frisk” [policy] and they fund the police again, give them back the money they deserve. When they had the “Stop & Frisk,” even though people say it was racist, I feel it wasn’t so much a racist thing. It’s just that people complain, and it’s wrong. If they bring that back, I guarantee you that crime will drop. When they had it when [Mayor Michael] Bloomberg was in, the City was

By DAVID GREENE

This week, we asked readers their thoughts on the announcement on Jan. 18, by the New York State Attorney General’s Office that its ongoing investigation into the Trump Organization has preliminarily determined that the organization used fraudulent and misleading asset valuations to obtain economic benefits. “He should go to jail. I think [former President Donald J.] Trump should be brought up on charges of fraud and tax evasion, or whatever claims the attorney general finds, because he’s not above the law. He’s just as guilty as anybody else who breaks the law. I’ve seen enough evidence [of] what happened