This is the newsletter of OptOut New York, a program of the OptOut Media Foundation led by Samira Asma-Sadeque. OptOut maintains a free news aggregation app for exclusively independent media that's available for Apple and Android devices. Find out more about the app at optout.news.
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Buenos días, New Yorkers!
I’m OptOut New York Editor Samira Asma-Sadeque, here to bring you the most important New York updates from the best of independent media. Follow along for all things New York: our stories, rants, and GIFs.
Today I write from Lenape Land in Queens, New York, to discuss domestic violence, housing, and unionizing.
Picket lines in New York lit up faster than holiday lights this season.
who led the part-time faculty walkout? The New School employees. Part-time instructors, who make up almost nine out of ten faculty members at the institution (which has nearly $400 million in endowment), are hurting: Many are working under extensions of their 2014 contracts, without accounting for inflation, and working in a system with loopholes making it difficult for faculty to have basic benefits such as health care, according to HELL GATE NYC.
“It poisons the entire culture,” said Emily Raabe, a picketer who has been a part-time faculty member for more than a decade. "It creates a culture of disposability that is the opposite of what education is supposed to be about."
why is it important for children to be aware of domestic violence signals? Here’s a tidbit: I’ve been working on a harrowing domestic violence story for the last three months. It’s infuriating to see how the system fails victims, whether they’re adults or children. Recently, the death of a child in a homeless shelter, following abuse by his parents that city officials neglected, is a reminder of the change we so badly need. CITY LIMITS explores how teaching kids about domestic violence at an earlier stage can be a game-changer.
when it’s time for Turkey Day, New York is known to have the most iconic Thanksgiving parade. Head over if you will, but remember the deeper story behind the festivities. Read about Native American Heritage Month and why some Native Americans oppose Native American Heritage Day being observed on Black Friday.
where there’s a will, there’s a way to dupe low-income and immigrant students. It’s apparently not that hard, and a for-profit New York City university has been doing that while mired in controversies of sexual assault and consumer fraud. ASA College lost its accreditation earlier this month for not being able to prove that it’s “operational,” DOCUMENTED NY reports.
what just happened on Long Island? Let’s be real: I would’ve never imagined the leader in affordable housing or taxing the rich would be our right-leaning locale of Long Island, and that’s apparently what just happened. NEW YORK FOCUS reports that in this month’s elections, four towns have agreed to tax the rich in order to build affordable housing and assist first-time homeowners with subsidized down payments. Read it to believe it:
Photo of the week
East Village, Manhattan. Brought to you by @ajlavilla + @yerr.nyc.
Nobody seems to know who received New York City funds to fight ethnicity-based hate crimes, or how specifically the money was used. THE CITY found that the mayor's office hasn't released any information on the more than one dozen organizations that allegedly received a total of $1 million in grants. Most of the groups that were judges are not responding to requests for comments either. A silence profoundly awkward and equally concerning.
There’s maybe a tiny tide shift in conversations about climate aid and climate-friendly options. You can feel it. I can feel it. The global south can feel it. And hopefully New York state soon will, too. At least a little. An amendment to an existing bill at the upcoming legislative session would open up choices for local governments to source their food based not only on what is most cost-friendly, but also what’s most climate-friendly. CITY LIMITS has the story.
See you in two weeks 🗽
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The OptOut Media Foundation (EIN: 85-2348079) is a nonprofit charity with a mission to educate the public about current events and help sustain a diverse media ecosystem by promoting and assisting independent news outlets and, in doing so, advance democracy and social justice.
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