Jun. 27, 2025 By Gregory J. Morris By all appearances, the Brooklyn Marine Terminal redevelopment (BMT) is an ambitious and historic opportunity. Touted as a project that could generate $21 billion in economic impact, 39,000 temporary construction jobs, and 2,400 permanent operational jobs — including 295 maritime positions — the vision aligns with long-standing…
May. 12, 2025 By Mayra Aldás-Deckert Every morning, tens of thousands of working-class New Yorkers crowd onto Flatbush Avenue’s B41 bus, hoping for a reliable ride to work, school, doctor’s appointments, and family. Instead, what we get is delay, frustration, and disrespect. Flatbush Avenue is one of the busiest corridors in Brooklyn, with more…
May. 7, 2025 By Grace Bonilla, Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez, Council Member Alexa Avilés, and Council Member Oswald Feliz At a time when efforts to erase identities from classrooms, library shelves, and our websites have become commonplace, we say no. Not in New York City. Imagine being one of the over four hundred thousand…
May. 5, 2025 By Mike Racioppo If you believe the New York City government can — and should — work better for all of us, I urge you to join us this Tuesday, May 6th, from 5-7 p.m. at Restoration Plaza in Bed-Stuy. That’s when the City Council’s Charter Revision Commission (CRC), aka The…
Apr. 24, 2025 By Msgr. Jamie J. Gigantiello When I think of Pope Francis, the first thoughts that come to mind are: a holy man, a humble man, and a human being. A holy man: To be holy in the eyes of God is to be like God, who loves all the human beings…
Apr. 9, 2025 By Maya Kornberg, Ph.D. This week, I faced a dilemma all too familiar to working parents. Our daycare did not have space for my son and I had an important in-person meeting where it would not be appropriate to bring my five-month-old. My partner and I are both fortunate enough to…
Apr. 8, 2025 By Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez, Council Member Lincoln Restler, Assembly Member Emily Gallagher, state Sen. Kristen Gonzalez Another year, another rate hike. On January 31, Consolidated Edison (ConEd) filed a $2 billion request to increase electricity and gas rates for New York City and Westchester residents. If approved, this would mean…
Apr. 4, 2025 By Brooklyn Democratic Party Leader Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn The latest mayoral poll shows Andrew Cuomo surging ahead, especially with minority voters—pulling 47% of Black voters and 45% of Hispanic voters. While some are surprised by Cuomo’s rising popularity, as the leader of the Brooklyn Democratic Party, I’m not. That’s because we…
Feb. 6, 2025 By Elder Shirley Barkley God calls us to look after our most vulnerable. In my work as Pastor of God’s Divine Tabernacle of Prayer, these are often seniors struggling to access and afford their medical care. Lawmakers have the power to remove that burden from them by supporting the Medicare Advantage…
Jan. 28, 2025 By Tyriq Presley, Analyst at the Ford Foundation, Class of 2012, Excellence Boys Charter School/Sponsored by Uncommon Schools When I reflect on the experiences that have most profoundly impacted my life, my time at Uncommon Excellence Boys Charter School, a PreK-8 school in Bedford-Stuyvesant, stands out. It wasn’t just a school…