News of the Week

With Some Results Still Backlogged, Should NYC Rethink its Testing-for-All COVID Strategy?
Public health experts have been calling on the federal government to organize a nationwide testing strategy: At the moment, states and local jurisdictions “are kind of on their own in terms of who to test,” resulting in uneven testing approaches across the country.

Cholera, Yellow Fever, Flu: Pandemic Lessons from NYC’s Past
Historians say there are many parallels between COVID-19 and past city pandemics, from increased xenophobia to masks campaigns. But the complexities of each outbreak are unique.

Even After a COVID-19 Vaccine is Approved, Distribution Will Be Challenging
If and when a vaccine becomes available, legislators and health officials will have to decide how to best distribute it across the city, as well as overcome public skepticism.

What’s Next in the Queens BP Race & Lessons from the 2020 Primaries
Councilmember Donovan Richards, the likely next Queens Borough President, talks about his plans for the office, while political expert Christina Greer discusses the lessons New York can take from June’s primary election.

State Extends Pandemic Eviction Moratorium, But Advocates Say Tenants Remain Under Threat 
Advocates say the eviction moratorium should also cover housing court cases filed prior to the start of the pandemic: ‘No one should have to fight to save their home during a pandemic. There is no good venue in which eviction cases can move forward.’

City Planning Commission Approves Controversial Industry City Rezoning Plan
The Commission voted 11 to 1 in favor of the factious rezoning application, which would expand the Sunset Park manufacturing and innovation hub by 1.46 million square feet.

Unemployed and COVID-Impacted Immigrants Become Street Vendors in Queens
Some Queens residents who lost work during the pandemic have taken to selling items.

Una Ciudad sin Límites

Los comercios de El Bronx sobreviven… por ahora
Afortunadamente, según entrevistas hechas la semana pasada a representantes de varios BIDs de El Bronx, Land & Sea es uno de los pocos negocios que han tenido que cerrar permanentemente a causa de la pandemia y del programa PAUSE del Estado de Nueva York. La pregunta es cuánto más podrán resistir los otros, y qué puede hacer la Ciudad para ayudarlos a sobrevivir.

Opinion: Will the City Step Up for Black and Latinx-Owned Small Businesses?
‘My businesses are just two of the thousands of small businesses in New York City run by women and people of color. The lack of government support for these businesses is a racial and economic justice issue,’ says Marva Babel, the co-owner of Ode to Babel and Good Life BK.

Opinion: BLM Protests Are Pivotal in Fight for Racial Justice, Despite NYPD Defunding Fumble
‘The protesters’ central demand—to cut at least $1 billion from the NYPD’s budget—was not met...But as a social movement scholar, I can say that such a setback doesn’t invalidate the fact that meaningful social change only happens from the bottom up,’ says Nara Roberta Silva, an Associate Faculty Member at the Brooklyn Institute for Social Research.

Opinion: NYC School Children Deserve a Safe Route to School
‘Putting more cars on the road will make the streets more dangerous, especially for children who cannot be driven to school by their parents,’ says Mary Majao, a parent and special education teacher.

Opinion: City’s Finance-Driven Approach to Managing NYCHA is Wrong for Tenants 
‘The financialization of public housing is dangerous because of how it changes the functional meaning of what housing is. These buildings are homes and communities, and places where people make their lives, take a break from life and create it, care for their families, and more,' says Kristen Hackett, a member of the Justice For All Coalition.

Opinion: Industry City Tycoons Are Exploiting Pandemic to Advance Rezoning 
‘We agree that our community can benefit greatly from jobs and resources that prioritize local residents, regardless of their citizenship status. However, we will not rush into a plan simply because a few certain elected leaders have expressed their opinions on a district neither of them have lived in,' says Brian Garita, the co-founder of United Mexicans of America.