Opinion

Inquiring Photographer: Thoughts on the Apparent Decline of Good Subway Etiquette

By SÍLE MOLONEY
This week, we asked readers for their opinions on etiquette in the New York City subway system further to a video shared on social media by a relatively young New Yorker in which he complains that the situation is way worse than in prior years (particularly as many commuters stand in the doorway wearing headphones, and do not hear people asking them to move).

Obituary: Joseph Anthony Castro

By JAMIE CASTRO
Mr. Joseph Anthony Castro, a resident of New York since 1947, died Tuesday Dec. 30, 2025, at his home in The Bronx. He was born Oct 18, 1947, in New York, NY to Octavio and Julia (Torres) Castro. He is survived by a niece, Jamie Castro, living in Battle Creek, Michigan. Joseph will be laid to rest in Michigan, beside his brother, Fillip O. Castro, and other family at Battle Creek Memorial Park.

Inquiring Photographer: Thoughts on Impending Cuts to Health Care

By DAVID GREENE
This week, we asked readers if they were concerned about the impact on their families and themselves of the impending cuts to health care. As reported, in November, amid the recent federal government shutdown, according to CBS News, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a funding package, extending funding for most agencies until Jan. 30, which includes three full-year funding bills for parts of the government.

UPDATE Inquiring Photographer: Thoughts on the Epstein Files

By DAVID GREENE
This week, we asked readers for their opinion on the Jeffrey “Epstein files” currently under review by the U.S. Department of Justice and whether they believe the files will ever be released in their entirety to the American public.

Op-Ed: It’s Time for Albany to Stand Up to PBMs and Protect Patients 

By ADAM AGOVINO
Pharmacies are closing at a pace our communities cannot afford. In 2024, according to NYC Center for an Urban Future, 10% of all New York City pharmacies shut down. Behind these closures is a quiet but devastating force: Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). These powerful middlemen dictate what pharmacies are paid for prescriptions, and too often, they set reimbursement rates so low that pharmacies lose money with every prescription they fill.

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].