Op-Ed: Keeping Our Kids Safe With Vaccination

By Dr. DAVE A. CHOKSHI

As a father of a young child and the City’s doctor, it has been especially meaningful for me to see so many brave children roll up their sleeves to get vaccinated against COVID-19. I have had the privilege of being present when some have gotten their first dose. I remember one young person had tragically lost their mother to the COVID-19 pandemic. The family felt relief and joy after waiting so long for the comfort of knowing the child was protected. Since the COVID-19 vaccine was authorized, over 140,000 children ages 5-11 have received at least one dose in

By DAVID GREENE

This week, following the not-guilty verdict in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial, and the guilty verdicts in the Ahmaud Arbery murder trial, we asked readers if they have faith in the criminal justice system. “The two very different decisions make me believe, more than ever, that when a case is properly prepared and adjudicated with care, the justice system works. The biggest problem with the system, as I see it, is in the people who are responsible for running the courts. Would Rittenhouse have been found guilty with a more thoughtful judge in the case? I don’t know, but we heard

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Hate crimes in New York City continue to rise as various elected officials across New York State have continued to rally around Bronx Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (A.D. 81), who is Jewish, in response to the recent protest organized by Republican gubernatorial candidate, Rob Astorino, outside Dinowitz’s Bronx office at 3107 Kingsbridge Avenue on Sunday, Nov. 14. During the rally, which was held two weeks ahead of the annual, Jewish festival of Hanukkah, at least one protestor displayed two signs containing swastikas and another protestor had a yellow star affixed to his clothing. Hate crimes in New York City are

By DAVID GREENE

With the spotlight on Puerto Rico following the recent Somos conference, this week, we asked readers for their thoughts on whether the island should become the 51st state or maintain its independence. “I feel that Puerto Rico should stay the way it is and maintain their independence. They don’t get enough support. I really don’t know. I don’t live there so I don’t know what’s going on exactly. But I know from what I see, and from what my family tells me, it would be nice to maintain their independence, but I don’t think they will be able

By DR. DAVE A. CHOKSHI

Recently, important updates about the COVID-19 vaccine were announced – that certain people are now eligible for a “booster” dose. Since the beginning of COVID-19, our scientific understanding of the virus has constantly evolved, and many New Yorkers understandably have questions about this new development. I would like to provide the “who, why, and where” about boosters. Who should get a booster? All three brands of booster shots are available for many New Yorkers — Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson — and “mixing and matching” of the vaccines is safe. But who is eligible for a booster depends

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

The live music was loud, the food was delicious, and the children couldn’t get enough cotton candy. The 20th Annual Fall Festival, organized by the Jerome Gun Hill Business Improvement District (BID), was back in full force on Saturday, Oct. 23. Jerome Avenue was closed for six hours from Gun Hill Road to East 208th Street in the Norwood section of the Bronx to accommodate the vendors, volunteers, and community groups. Most of the tents set up at the festival were selling some type of goods or food, but not all. Brandon Montes, 30, is the founder

By DAVID GREENE

With roughly 8,486 people across the State waiting on an organ transplant, as reported, some will die before they receive one. In recognition of Organ Donor Enrollment Day in New York State on Oct. 7, we asked some residents if they were organ donors, and if not, if they would consider becoming donors. “I am an organ donor. I’ve been an organ donor for over 14 years now. I think if we can give the last gift of life, that’s the greatest gift to give. I think we should follow Spain’s direction where they actually have opt-out donors. You’re automatically

By ROBERT C. KOEHLER

Several million dollars’ worth of fiction exploded a few week ago, leaving cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, 42, a wife and mom, dead, and plunging actor, Alec Baldwin, who accidentally shot her, into a state of unimaginable hell. This happened on Oct. 21, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on the set of the movie Rust. Despite the enormity of coverage the incident has gotten, I remain bewitched with incredulity over one unanswered question. Baldwin, the star and one of the producers of the movie, a western, was practicing his gun draw, using a prop gun he’d been given — except the gun

Op-Ed: How the Senate Will Decide the Fate of Local News

By STEVE WALDMAN

The Senate is now deciding the fate of local news. As part of the Build Back Better Act, the Senate is, in the next few days, considering an important proposal: providing a payroll tax credit to local news organizations to retain or hire local journalists. Why? Local news is in a deep crisis. The Internet has fundamentally broken the business model of local newspapers. The number of reporters has dropped by more than half since 2000. There are at least 1,800 total “news deserts,” with no local newspapers at all, and thousands more have “ghost newspapers” that