Feb. 23, 2021 By Allie Griffin Mayor Bill de Blasio has created a new position, “Recovery Czar,” to lead the city’s recovery from the pandemic and accompanying economic crisis. De Blasio appointed Astoria native and CEO of the City’s School Construction Authority (SCA) Lorraine Grillo to fill the position as the senior advisor of the… Read more »
Feb. 22, 2021 By Allie Griffin Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday that the city is extending the Port Authority’s lease at JFK Airport another 10 years to allow the agency more time to complete the airport’s revamp in light of the pandemic and budget shortfalls. The Port Authority, which is the operator of the… Read more »
Feb. 22, 2021 By Christina Santucci New Yorkers will soon be able to watch the latest movie on the big screen. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced today that theaters in New York City will be able to open at 25 percent of normal capacity beginning March 5. The state, however, will limit each screening to 50… Read more »
Feb. 22, 2021 By Amit Singh Bagga From refusal of service to racist rants to vicious, violent attacks on the subway, including the harrowing recent incident against Noel Quintana, a Filipino man whose face was slashed from end to end with a boxcutter, we’ve seen a terrifying rise in anti-Asian hatred in New York City…. Read more »
Feb. 22, 2021 By Christina Santucci A Supreme Court justice is now weighing in on a lawsuit brought by more than 100 political candidates and their supporters — asking that the requirements to collect in-person signatures to get on the ballot be waived. State Supreme Court Justice Frank P. Nervo presided over a hearing about… Read more »
Feb. 22, 2021 By Allie Griffin Queens lawmakers and community leaders joined together on the steps of Borough Hall Monday to denounce a recent string of hate crimes against the Asian American and Jewish communities in the borough. The press conference was organized by Queens Borough President Donovan Richards following three bias incidents in the… Read more »
Feb. 22, 2021 By Michael Dorgan A coalition of elected officials, students, parents and other advocates have come out against a bill sponsored by Queens Council Member Costa Constantinides that aims to remove the NYPD from public schools. The group argues that the bill–introduced Feb. 11— falls short since the 5,000 NYPD safety agents that… Read more »
Feb. 22, 2021 By Christina Santucci The owners of a popular Greek-Cypriot restaurant in Astoria are launching a virtual cooking series – starting with two sessions this week. Elena Ioannidis, co-owner of Zenon Taverna, is holding the classes and said her goal is to teach people how to cook some of the Greek and Cypriot… Read more »
Feb. 22, 2021 By Allie Griffin Sherriff deputies busted a crowded underground bar in Jackson Heights early Sunday morning where more than 300 unmasked partygoers were packed into a basement. The officers discovered the unlicensed bar operating out of a basement at Sueño Americano, located at 35-16 Junction Blvd., shortly after midnight, authorities said. The… Read more »
Feb. 22, 2021 By Christina Santucci Queens Congress member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has helped raise more than $4 million for relief efforts in Texas, where a winter storm and ensuing power outages wreaked havoc last week. Ocasio-Cortez announced the fundraising milestone in a tweet Saturday. Donations will be split evenly among 12 food banks and organizations… Read more »