Politics

Inquiring Photographer: Thoughts on U.S. House Select Committee Investigation into Jan. 6 Riots

By DAVID GREENE
  This week, we asked readers their thoughts on the U.S. House Select Committee that is investigating the January 6th riots and the storming of the U.S. Capitol.   “I’ve been following it, and I notice the great partisanship that there is in both chambers, and it’s something that obviously needs the eyes of both parties because the interest of democracy is at stake. We notice the lack of interest that the GOP has demonstrated in these instances and it’s regrettable. It’s regrettable for our democracy, it is regrettable for the generation to come. It is regrettable for the country that our children will inherit.”


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Rivera: Landlords Have Sued Over 50 Families Per 1,000 Units in Fordham, Kingsbridge & University Heights

By SÍLE MOLONEY
State Sen. Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33) is visiting tenant associations across District 33 in the Northwest Bronx in efforts to ensure eligible tenants apply to the New York State Emergency Rent Assistance Program (ERAP). ERAP was enacted as part of the 2021-2022 State budget which allocated $2.35 billion in federal funds to provide New Yorkers with relief to avoid evictions due to COVID-19.   As previously reported, through ERAP, households affected by COVID-19 can qualify for up to 12 months of past due rent, three months of future rent and up to 12 months of overdue utility bills. Individuals do


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De Blasio Visits “Destination Tomorrow” as Part of Pride Month Celebrations

By DAVID GREENE
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and First Lady Charlene McCray made a special appearance on Tuesday, June 29, at Destination Tomorrow, The Bronx’s LGBTQ+ Center, located on East 149th Street in the South Bronx, in celebration of Pride Month.   McCray, the first speaker of the program, told a crowd of about 50, “This is really a wonderful day. As I look around at all of you, I feel hope, I feel possibilities, I feel dreams crackling in the air.”   After watching a recent episode of the FX series “Pose,” McCray recalled, “During the show, I saw


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UPDATE Fordham Manor: Mother and Son Charged in Citi Bike Assault on Webster Avenue

By DAVID GREENE
  Two local residents, a mother and son, have each been charged with a single count of assault after they both allegedly attempted to choke a young, female Citi Bike rider. Witnesses reported that the two claimed the Citi Bike rider scratched their ride with her bike.   A video recording of the unfolding events shows that a large crowd gathered after a dispute arose between the occupants of a grey Honda Accord and one of two Citi Bike riders on Sunday, July 11 just after 4 p.m. in the Fordham Manor section of the Bronx. The car driver stopped in a designated


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UPDATE What Does the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act Mean for Bronxites?

By DAWN CLANCY
Considered a major win by progressives when it was passed by New York State legislators, the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) was the subject of a virtual community discussion hosted by The Bronx Defenders on Tuesday, July 6, in conjunction with local Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernández (A.D. 80). The purpose of the discussion was to explain to Bronxites what the new law means for them.   According to its website, The Bronx Defenders is a public defender nonprofit that is “radically transforming how low-income people in the Bronx are represented in the justice system and in doing so, transforming the


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Schumer Hails New Child Tax Credit Plan, Citing Benefits Over a Child’s Lifetime

By SÍLE MOLONEY
  Following the passage of the broader American Rescue Plan earlier this year, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has heralded the recent Child Tax Credit (CTC) expansion which ensures payments of up to $300 per child will automatically go out to families across New York State, each month. The program took effect on Friday, July 16 and Schumer said the plan will impact over 86 percent of New York children.   “Help is here for families across New York in the form of enhanced Child Tax Credits that puts more money in families’ pockets to recover from COVID, while


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Music, Fun & Politics Merged at the 20th Annual Morrison Avenue Festival in Soundview

By MIRIAM QUIÑONES, SHANIA DEGROOT & SÍLE MOLONEY
  The 20th annual Morrison Avenue Festival returned with gusto to the Soundview section of The Bronx on Saturday, June 12, having been cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.   District 18 City Councilman Ruben Diaz Sr., along with H.O.G.A.R., (Housing Options and Geriatric Association Resources, Inc.) Bronx County Expo Association, and Freddy Perez Jr. of FPJ Amusements and Entertainment Services Inc. hosted the popular event which, though well attended, saw smaller crowds than the original 5,000 expected for a joy-filled day of music, dancing, fun, as well as a bit of political rallying thrown in for good


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“Saturday Night Lights” Program Opens Up 23 Sports Venues for Bronx Youth on Saturday Nights

By SÍLE MOLONEY
  Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced the expansion of the recently launched “Saturday Night Lights” (SNL) program with 23 additional sites added in the Bronx, joining the two that opened in 2019.   On July 9, the NYPD, the Department of Youth and Community Development (NYCD), the city’s five district attorneys’ offices and several city agency partners, community-based organizations (CBOs) and foundations announced the opening of 100 gyms across the city for free, high-quality sports programs for kids on Saturday nights.   An earlier expansion of the SNL program, announced on July 9, was supported by a commitment


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Norwood: Car Break-in on Reservoir Oval East as Grand Larceny Auto Incidents Increase by 44 Percent

By MIRIAM QUIÑONES & SÍLE MOLONEY
A car break-in occurred in front of the Keeper’s House at 3400 Reservoir Oval East in Norwood, resulting in a smashed window and a damaged door. The incident apparently took place during the early hours of Friday morning, July 15.   A rock was lying on the street close to where the car was parked in front of the Keeper’s House (home of the Norwood News) on Friday morning, and one resident reported having heard a loud noise at around 5 a.m. that morning.   Police arrived at the scene and requested access to the security camera footage to see


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