April 30, 2020 By Allie Griffin One of the six candidates running for Queens Borough President has been knocked out of the race after Governor Andrew Cuomo cancelled the nonpartisan special election scheduled for June 23. Cuomo called for the cancellation of the special election that would have determined who would be borough president until… Read more »
Author: Allie Griffin
City to Hand Out Thousands of Free Face Coverings to New Yorkers at Parks
April 30, 2020 By Allie Griffin New York City will be handing out free face coverings to New Yorkers in an effort to further control the spread of the coronavirus, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today. City workers will be distributing up to 100,000 face coverings in parks and playgrounds across the five boroughs from… Read more »
Queens Approaching 50,000 Cases of COVID-19
April 30, 2020 By Allie Griffin Queens is approaching 50,000 cases of COVID-19 as the pandemic continues to halt daily life in New York City. The World’s Borough continues to have the highest count of residents infected with the coronavirus among the five boroughs. Queens has had 49,559 residents inflicted with the deadly virus, while… Read more »
De Blasio and Wife Launch ‘Combat Trauma’ Initiative for Frontline Healthcare Workers
April 29, 2020 By Allie Griffin The City is bringing in military experts to train New York City healthcare workers on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic to cope with “combat trauma,” Mayor Bill de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray announced today. Military trauma specialists will train more than 1,000 health personnel at the… Read more »
City to Provide Antibody Testing to 150,000 Healthcare Workers and First Responders
April 29, 2020 By Allie Griffin More than 150,000 healthcare workers and first responders will soon be able to undergo COVID-19 antibody testing, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today. The city is partnering with the US Department of Health and Human Services and the CDC to offer antibody testing at hospitals, firehouses, police stations and… Read more »
City Announces New Grading Policy for Students Learning Remotely
April 28, 2020 By Allie Griffin Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled the new grading policy for the city’s public schools today as the pandemic has caused the education system to turn to remote learning. De Blasio said flexibility was the biggest need in grading students as everyone has had to adjust to the new normal…. Read more »
100 Miles of New York City Streets to be Turned Over to Pedestrians
April 27, 2020 By Allie Griffin Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that 100 miles of New York City streets will be turned over to pedestrians as the coronavirus pandemic continues into warmer months. The announcement follows weeks of pressure from the City Council and advocacy groups who have called for car-free streets amid the outbreak…. Read more »
Board of Elections Kicks Two Muslim Women Off Ballot, Sparks Cries of Racism
April 27, 2020 By Allie Griffin Two Muslim women running for elected office were kicked of the ballot by the Board of Elections Thursday — and several of their supporters say the ruling was based on xenophobia. The BOE removed Mary Jobaida, who aims to unseat Cathy Nolan in Assembly District 37, and Moumita Ahmed,… Read more »
Mayor Pushing for Rent Freeze on City’s Regulated Apartments
April 24, 2020 By Allie Griffin Mayor Bill de Blasio is pushing for a rent freeze for New York City’s one million rent-stabilized tenants. The mayor is calling for a range of measures to assist New Yorkers unable to afford their rent amid the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting shutdown. He is also urging the state… Read more »
Collaborative Poetry Project Celebrates Beauty and Resilience of Queens
April 24, 2020 By Allie Griffin Dozens of poets have put together an illustration of the beauty and resilience of Queens with an interactive recorded poetry project. Queensbound, founded in 2018 by writer KC Trommer, collects poems about the borough — from Long Island City to Jamaica — and embeds audio recordings of each at… Read more »