Vaping-Related Death in Bx.
A Bronx teen has died from a vaping-related illness, marking the first such death in the state, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo, who has taken up the issue of vaping, announced the death at a news conference. “This vaping is a public health crisis. It is affecting our young people. It has been marketed to young people,” Cuomo told reporters. The teen was rushed to Montefiore Medical Center after he became ill, according to published reports. More than 100 people across the state have become ill from vaping, with 21 across the city. The teen is now the 19th person across the country to have died from a vaping-related illness. Authorities believe the teen was made sick from vaping cartridges where the key ingredient causes the high in marijuana, according to the New York Post. “And all of this is illegal. All the sale to minors, this is all illegal, but it is everywhere. And these companies know exactly what they’re doing because they market to young people. When you are selling bubble gum and Scooby Doo flavor, you know exactly what you’re doing. You are targeting young people, which is illegal for cigarette manufacturers by the way, and some of these vaping companies are owned by tobacco companies,” said Cuomo. The State Department of Health is now investigating the death. The news comes as the state banned the sale of e-flavored cigarettes.

—David Cruz

 

Bx. Households Most Unbanked
Bronx households are more likely not to have a bank account or relying on check-cashing businesses than other New York City boroughs, according to a research brief released by the city Department of Consumer and Worker Protection that used 2017 data. Six of the 10 neighborhoods that account for approximately 35 percent of unbanked households call the Bronx home, including Bedford Park, Fordham North, and Norwood, all three counted as one neighborhood. An estimated 11.2 percent of city households are unbanked while 21.8 percent are underbanked.

—Jonathan Custodio

 

Lion Lady at Bronx Zoo
Police are looking for Myah Autry, the woman caught on camera inside the lion’s den at the Bronx Zoo and attempting to draw a lion’s attention. Autry posted the encounter on Instagram on Sept. 28. The Bronx Zoo was last trespassed in when a tiger mauled an intruder in 2012. Autry is wanted by police at the 52nd Precinct for trespassing and was previously given a citation for disruptive behavior at an Iowa bus depot in January.

—Jonathan Custodio

 

Empty Retail Space Has Doubled
Between 2007 and 2017, the rate of empty and vacant storefronts in the city has increased by nearly 50 percent, according to an analysis released by city Comptroller Scott Stringer. Online shopping and rising commercial rents have been contributing factors, combined with service-oriented businesses replacing traditional brick-and-mortar stores. Mott Haven and the East Bronx have the highest vacancy rates, at nearly 10 percent and 15 percent, respectively.

—Jonathan Custodio

 

Trump Impeachment Forum
Congressman Adriano Espaillat, a Democrat who represents Norwood, plans to host a forum on Oct. 24 at Amalgamated Houses’ Vladeck Hall outlining the impeachment inquiry process into President Donald Trump. This is Espaillat’s second forum on the impeachment process, having already held his first one in the Manhattan side of his district on Oct. 7. The Democratically controlled House of Representatives launched an impeachment inquiry last month after a whistleblower reported Trump had used the power of the presidency to have the president of Ukraine dig up dirt on potential Democratic presidential rival and former vice president Joe Biden, and his son, Hunter.

—David Cruz