Bulletin board:
- New York is stocking up on Misoprostol, an alternative to the abortion pill Mifepristone, following a Texas federal judge’s preliminary ruling that invalidates the FDA approval of the latter.
- A “rodent mitigator” is in the house! Kathleen Corradi has become the city’s first-ever rat czar. She is a former elementary school teacher and honestly, if there’s anyone I’d trust with “mitigation,” it’s an elementary school teacher. She knows what’s up.
- New York’s state budget is late, but, with mild Dumbledore vibes, Gov. Kathy Hochul has said she would rather have the “right results” instead of rushing it.
Bronx residents are pushing back against a new reality: car-sharing initiatives taking up parking spots for locals. The Department of Transportation (DOT) is interested in expanding car-sharing services such as Zipcar, Getaround, and Truqit—but the department is not listening to the locals. According to THE CITY, DOT looked past suggestions for private parking spaces provided by community board members in the Bronx.
“There’s absolutely no reason why these companies that want to do the car-share program should pay the city of New York for street parking, as opposed to paying for off-street parking somewhere else,” says board Municipal Services Committee Chair Bob Bieder.
In 2021, I reported on how climate disasters such as Hurricane Ida specifically affect immigrant communities. Even when facing a huge flood and potential death, immigrants would risk their life to grab their paperwork from the house. Without our paperwork, we are nothing. When your entire existence in a nation has to be justified through paperwork, you will risk your life to keep those documents safe: rain, hail, or storm.
This is only one of numerous ways in which immigration status can impact one’s life, whether it’s in the context of the climate crisis, health, or many other issues. In an interview, DOCUMENTED journalist Rommel Ojeda shares his findings from a year of research, concluding that flood-prone neighborhoods are likely to host immigrant communities.
“High housing costs have led more people to these unsafe apartments, risking property loss,” Ojeda says.
A developer in Brooklyn is facing a lawsuit, filed by four tenants, for overcharging renters while enjoying a tax break. Housing Rights Initiative, a watchdog group that conducted an investigation on the issue, found more than 1,500 buildings enjoying the tax break, known as 421-a, while not complying with the provisions required for that status such as setting aside some apartments for low-income renters.
“Whether you’re a tenant or a taxpayer you should be up in arms about this,” Aaron Carr, executive director of Housing Rights Initiative, told CITY LIMITS.
New York prisoners are being hit particularly hard with the highest inflation in 40 years. An exorbitant rise in prices makes it “impossible” for prisoners to afford basic food items and hygienic products. Meanwhile, a “package ban” introduced last year now means prisoners can receive only two personal packages in one year, further limiting their access to goods and resources.
NEW YORK FOCUS reports how some prices between 2021 and 2022 more than tripled for products such as Graham Crackers, bacon, sausage, and lettuce at the Attica Correctional Facility.
A Bronx father is fighting for custody of his son almost three years after his partner died during childbirth. Bruce McIntyre was not married to the child’s mother, but the two were in a long term relationship—which isn’t enough for the law to grant him custody of the child. His case is one of many that remain backlogged in the Bronx Surrogate’s Court.
“I already knew what they were trying to do, especially being a Black man in America,” McIntyre told THE CITY. “I see this happening to us quite a bit to where we’re being questioned about our fatherhood.”
🕊️ 🕊️ 🕊️
Today we wrap up yet again with the names of five more victims of a mass shooting, this time in Louisville, Kentucky. They were killed on Monday morning by a former employer at the bank where they worked:
- Tommy Elliott, 63
- Jim Tutt, 64
- Josh Barrick, 40
- Deana Eckert, 57
- Juliana Farmer, 45
Someday maybe, hopefully, we won’t have to keep doing this. But until then, we will keep saying and remembering their names. We must. It is the least we owe them as witnesses.
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