Author: Gothamist

Nassau County Republicans approved a sweeping ban on the public use of face coverings after a raucous debate on Monday. They claimed the measure would combat crimes committed during protests. Presiding Officer Howard Kopel said the Mask Transparency Act was introduced in response to “antisemitic incidents, often perpetrated by those in masks” since Hamas’ Oct.…

The first full-service public animal shelter in Queens will open on Tuesday, as shelters around the city say they’re overwhelmed with dogs who need homes. The 50,000-square-foot facility is located on Flushing Avenue in Ridgewood and has capacity for 72 dogs and 110 cats, according to the nonprofit Animal Care Centers of NYC. Among other…

In the last year, homeless families without young children in New York City are increasingly having to apply for permanent shelter placement several times before they’re approved for a bed, a Gothamist analysis found. City data dating from 2017 to May of this year shows that a majority of so-called adult families — usually couples…

New York Attorney General Letitia James and the New York Civil Liberties Union sued Nassau County on Monday, just hours after the county executive signed a law banning transgender girls and women from playing sports at county-run facilities. The separate lawsuits seek to block the ban, which county legislators passed last month and which went…

Transit advocates and researchers are asking New Yorkers who ride the B41 bus across Brooklyn’s Flatbush Avenue to share their commuting woes. A participatory research action project will kick off on Tuesday with a rally at 11 a.m. at the Flatbush Trees, at the intersection of Empire Boulevard and Flatbush Avenue, in Brooklyn. It’s part…

Eduardo Bensignor flew to New York from his home in Argentina with three friends and his rabbi, joining thousands of others who have come to mark the 30th anniversary of the death of the Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the leader of the Chabad Lubavitch movement, who died in June 1994. “For me it’s important because…

A first-of-its-kind program in New York City is trying to keep at-risk young people stably housed by giving them a one-time cash payment to keep them from becoming homeless. Point Source Youth, a national organization trying to end youth homelessness, helped launch the cash transfer program in the city with two local nonprofits earlier this…

New York is experiencing a bump in COVID cases that might put a damper on people’s summer plans. Cases have been rising nationally and locally for about two months, driven by so-called “FLiRT” variants — versions of the virus that have evolved to evade immunity. Mandatory COVID mitigation measures have largely been waived, and the…

Fireworks season in New York City can be a nerve-wracking time for dog owners. The show-stopping July 4 fireworks display — which will take place over the Hudson instead of the East River this year — is often preceded and followed by weeks of extralegal street fireworks that cause dogs extra agita. Here are some…

A cardboard cutout of the Supremes stands inside the lobby of I.S. 235 — the Academy for New Americans — in Astoria, Queens. The walls are adorned with inspirational quotes from Rosa Parks, President Barack Obama and Harriet Tubman. A sign outside the guidance counselor’s office reads, “Always remember to ask… how is this good…