Feb. 26, 2021 By Christian Murray A number of high-profile developers who are profiting from a Trump-era tax break may be forced to pay more in taxes if a bill State Sen. Mike Gianaris is sponsoring becomes law. The bill, dubbed the Opportunity Zone Tax Break Elimination Act, would scrap a handsome tax break that… Read more »
Feb. 23, 2021 By Christina Santucci A state supreme court justice has dismissed a lawsuit filed by nearly 100 political candidates that sought to cancel the requirements for in-person signatures required to get on the ballot. The group of more than 100 plaintiffs, including about a dozen Queens candidates, filed suit Feb. 8 against Governor… Read more »
Feb. 23, 2021 By Christina Santucci The number of applications for a seat on a community board in Queens went up by more than 56 percent this year. The borough president received 931 applications for the unpaid positions, up from 595 in 2020. The number was an all-time high, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards said…. Read more »
Feb. 22, 2021 By Christina Santucci New Yorkers will soon be able to watch the latest movie on the big screen. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced today that theaters in New York City will be able to open at 25 percent of normal capacity beginning March 5. The state, however, will limit each screening to 50… Read more »
Feb. 22, 2021 By Christina Santucci A Supreme Court justice is now weighing in on a lawsuit brought by more than 100 political candidates and their supporters — asking that the requirements to collect in-person signatures to get on the ballot be waived. State Supreme Court Justice Frank P. Nervo presided over a hearing about… Read more »
Feb. 18, 2021 By Christian Murray The feud between Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio appears to have been ratcheted up a notch—with the mayor accusing Cuomo of bullying Queens Assemblyman Ron Kim. The mayor said that he “100 percent” believes Kim’s account of the dispute the Assemblyman has had with Cuomo. Kim… Read more »
Feb. 17, 2021 By Christian Murray Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has come under heavy fire for his delay in reporting the number of nursing home residents killed by COVID-19, railed against one of his chief critics—Queens Assembly Member Ron Kim—during a press conference today. The attack followed a letter that Kim co-wrote Tuesday—along with eight… Read more »
This article was originally published on Feb. 16 at 6:36pm EST by THE CITY BY Christine Chung, THE CITY The second special election held in Queens this month is shaping up as the first test of the city’s new ranked choice voting system. Nine candidates are running to replace former District 31 Councilmember Donovan Richards, who vacated… Read more »
Feb. 16, 2021 By Christina Santucci The Queens County Democratic Party endorsed a slate of candidates today for the June primary elections. The entire slate – consisting of more than a dozen candidates for City Council, as well as comptroller, Queens Borough President and several judgeships — was put up for a single vote and… Read more »
Feb. 15, 2021 Op-Ed By Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer Long before COVID hit New York City, small businesses were struggling to compete against big box retailers with exorbitant commercial rents on the rise. Before the pandemic, commercial rents had gone up by 22 percent on average. Vacant space had doubled in the decade leading up… Read more »