Nov. 23, 2020 By Allie Griffin New York City’s Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg announced today that she is stepping down from the de Blasio administration. Trottenberg, who has served as the Department of Transportation (DOT) head since 2014, will leave her post in early December. During her seven-year tenure, the commissioner led the way on… Read more »
Nov. 23, 2020 By Allie Griffin A council member who represents parts of Brooklyn and Queens introduced a bill Thursday that would allow restaurants to add a 15 percent surcharge to the tab if they pay all their employees a base wage of at least $15 per hour. Council Member Antonio Reynoso, who represents parts… Read more »
Nov. 19, 2020 By Allie Griffin Indoor dining will likely end and gyms will likely close in the next week or two as New York City looks to combat a second wave of the coronavirus, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday morning. The closures will come if New York City enters a state-mandated “orange zone,”… Read more »
Nov. 18, 2020 By Allie Griffin New York City public schools will close in-person classes starting Thursday, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today. Public schools will switch to fully remote classes beginning tomorrow — until further notice. The move comes as New York City’s COVID-19 positivity rate reached 3 percent over a seven-day rolling average,… Read more »
Nov. 16, 2020 By Allie Griffin Catholic schools in Queens and Brooklyn will remain open for in-person learning even if New York City public schools shutter due to a spike in COVID-19 cases, the Superintendent of Catholic Schools for Brooklyn and Queens announced Sunday. Queens and Brooklyn Catholic schools will continue to provide in-person instruction… Read more »
Nov. 13, 2020 By Christian Murray Mayor Bill De Blasio warned today that New York City schools could close for in-person learning as soon as Monday amid a spike in COVID-19 infections. The mayor told parents to brace themselves for closures during an appearance on WNYC’s Brian Lehrer Show this morning. He said parents with… Read more »
Nov. 11, 2020 By Allie Griffin Restaurants, bars and gyms across New York State must close by 10 p.m. beginning Friday, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced today. Cuomo said the new mandates were needed since the COVID-19 infection rate continues to rise across the state. He told reporters that bars and restaurants play an outsized role… Read more »
Nov. 10, 2020 By Allie Griffin Mental health experts will be sent out next year instead of police officers in response to 911 calls involving non-violent people experiencing mental illness problems, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday. The new plan, which will be piloted in a number of neighborhoods next year, involves dispatching FDNY Emergency Medical… Read more »
Nov. 9, 2020 By Allie Griffin New York City has “one last chance” to stop a second wave of the coronavirus as new cases continue to surge, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today. The number of new cases on a seven-day average — as of Saturday — increased to 779 citywide, up from 593 a… Read more »
Nov. 5, 2020 By Allie Griffin City officials are concerned over a steady increase in COVID-19 cases citywide. The number of new coronavirus cases has risen above the city’s cautionary threshold for nearly a week and it hit a new high on Tuesday — the date of the latest data available, Mayor Bill de Blasio… Read more »