शुभ प्रभात, New York!

We have lots to catch up on: we finally almost had snow—but we got mostly ice instead. Rude. An emaciated alligator showed up in New York and a woman lit a trans flag on fire and then it backfired on her because it was replaced with an even bigger trans flag.

Bulletin board

• NYC Uber and Lyft drivers held a daylong strike outside LaGuardia airport on Sunday, demanding better pay.
• The strike spirit has reached the legal workers. Hundreds of New York’s legal aid workers are demanding better salary, healthcare, and a sustainable workload.
• Journalists are holding The New York Times accountable for its coverage of trans issues, according to an open letter sent out earlier this month.
• The OptOut fundraiser in Brooklyn was a success! Thanks so much to those who came out and showed support. If you missed it, there will be more! In the meantime, you can donate quickly here!

FAQ NYC put Ron DeSantis and an alligator in the same podcast, and I was disappointed to find out it was not an allegory. Rude x 2. Took me a minute to figure out they’re two separate stories.

Anyway, turns out whatever happens in Florida (DeSantis, alligators, etc.) will inevitably find its way to New York. The Florida governor visited Staten Island last week for a rally to “attack bail reform” and New York’s overall approach to criminal justice. He was joined by GOP Rep. Lee Zeldin, and there are all sorts of connotations there.

Professor Christina Greer of FAQ NYC shared that this makes for a “very interesting 2024 dynamic for the Republican presidential race” because if Republicans adhered to Donald Trump’s claim that he won in 2020, then the natural order in 2024 would be for him to take over. But what does it mean for Zeldin to be supportive of DeSantis?

Lol and you thought Mean Girls had drama.

We bring you live footage of DeSantis and Zeldin talking to Trump at lunch:

Greer also talked about Mayor Eric Adams’ welcome of DeSantis. Adams schooled the visitor on Twitter, taking a dig at his stances that are anti-immigrant, anti-abortion, and homophobic. But does that negate Adams’ stances on criminal justice, which are similar to the Floridian's? Listen to the interview:

LISTEN: Here’s Where Eric Adams and Ron DeSantis See Eye-to-Eye

The CityFAQ NYC

Governor Kathy Hochul backtracked on her promise to bring health coverage to undocumented immigrants with a waiver of a federal law that makes undocumented immigrants ineligible for federal healthcare coverage. Despite an impassioned speech last April, she did not include it in the budget released earlier this month. This could cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars because without this federal funding, New York alone has to pay for emergency healthcare for the undocumented community.

NEW YORK FOCUS has the story:

Hochul Ditched Health Insurance Promise to Undocumented New Yorkers

The backtrack could cost New York $500 million — while leaving tens of thousands of people uninsured.

New York FocusSam Mellins

Over the past two weeks, the focus on The New York Times’ coverage of trans issues further highlighted the relentless erasure of, and attack on, trans communities—whether it’s in physical space or ideological debates. Our very own Liana DeMasi shared a poignant note in their LGBTQ+ OptOut last week—give it a read. (If you're not signed up for their newsletter, you can do so in your account settings.)

A recent report explores how a New York City cannabis company not only has practices that harm its workers and Black-led businesses but also (gear up for this one) is literally winging it when labeling certain strains. The experience of Danielle Cruz, a Puerto Rican from the Bronx, alone speaks to the work culture in a company where she was labeled creative because she grew up poor.

Read the story in PRISM:

Workers allege racist harm from NYC cannabis shop Medly

Black and brown women working in cannabis accuse New York City-based Medly of mistreatment and threats to steal intellectual property

PrismAlexandra Martinez

Construction workers building our homes and offices and shops are dying at a rate similar to pre-pandemic levels. The year 2021 saw the deaths of 20 construction workers, a 60% spike since 2020, when the construction industry saw a drop in operation due to the pandemic. According to THE CITY, Latino and non-union workers are most susceptible to these deaths on the job.

20 NYC Construction Workers Died on the Job in 2021

Fatalities rise again, following a dip during the COVID construction pause.

The CityClaudia Irizarry Aponte

A Black man in Connecticut is suing New Haven police for $100 million following a 2022 encounter wherein their violence during an arrest left him paralyzed from chest down. Richard “Randy” Cox was arrested on Juneteenth. The injuries he suffered while he was hurled around the back of a police van—where he was put without a seatbelt—have led to numerous diagnoses including a spine fracture and “shortened life expectancy.” He has since sued the five officers, and the charges against him have been dropped. But the saga continues. Read CT MIRROR’s story.

Timeline: Randy Cox’s New Haven police encounter, paralysis, lawsuit

Randy Cox became paralyzed after he was hurled around a New Haven police van with no seat belts. Here’s a timeline of the events.

CT MirrorCT Mirror Explains

Thanks for staying up-to-date on what's going on in New York independent news! See you in two weeks.

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.

Download the app for Apple and Android.
Sign up for OptOut's free newsletters.
Learn more about OptOut.

Merch
Events calendar

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Mastodon, and Facebook.