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The New York City Update
NYC Weekly Roundup: Daunte Wright protests, updated bar and restaurant curfews and a mayor's race that's heating up
2021-04-17
(Jonathan Riley/Unsplash)
As the weather begins to turn and COVID-19 restrictions begin to lift, New York City's seeing as much activity as it's seen in months.
The boroughs stirred in protest over the killing of Daunte Wright by police in Minnesota, an artist painted a mural in the Bronx in honor of rapper DMX, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo updated city bar and restaurant curfews and all of a sudden everyone's paying attention to the mayoral race and former presidential candidate Andrew Yang's front-runner status.
Catch up on this week's news below, and follow our borough-specific accounts to get the daily news most relevant to you.
A new housing lottery for 124 mixed-income units has opened up in Jamaica Hills, Queens. The apartments are located at 82-41 Parsons Boulevard.
New Yorkers earning 60% and 100% of the area median income (AMI) are eligible to apply for the income-restricted apartments. Prices range from $885/month for studios to $2,215/month for three bedrooms.
Qualifying New Yorkers can apply for the housing units until June 16. For more information on how to apply visit housingconnect.nyc.gov, or call NYC’s Housing Connect department by dialing 311.
Officials arrested a woman at John F. Kennedy Airport after they discovered she was in possession of $94,000 worth of cocaine, PIX 11 reported Tuesday.
Yerlina Hernandez DeNova, a passenger on a flight from the Dominican Republic, was discovered to be carrying three pellets filled with a white powder in her purse.
After pulling DeNova aside for an additional search, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials located pellets in her bra. She then confessed to tucking a number of pellets into her body as well. Testing confirmed the powder was cocaine, and officers ultimately confiscated 100 pellets.
DeNova faces charges of importing a controlled substance into the United States and federal narcotics smuggling charges, officials said.
A 52-year-old woman was gunned down Wednesday while working at a construction site in the Bronx's City Island, which led to her boyfriend running over the suspect with his car.
The shooting took place around 12:30 p.m. on City Island Avenue and City Island Road, where a 67-year-old man pulled up to the intersection on a bicycle and opened fire, police said. The woman, who reportedly directed traffic at the construction site, was shot multiple times and died at the hospital due to her injuries.
The suspect biked away from the scene, and the victim's boyfriend, who saw the shooting unfold, entered his own vehicle and reportedly struck the man with his car. The 58-year-old boyfriend then got out of his car and reportedly beat the shooter up and held onto him until police arrived at the scene.
The suspect was transported into custody at Jacobi Medical Center, where he is being treated for body trauma.
A Queens artist and Bronx restaurant owner teamed up this week to plan a mural for New York hip-hop legend DMX.
Local artist Efren Andaluz painted the mural of the Yonkers rapper, who died April 9, near the entrance of La Estrella Tropical, a family-run Dominican restaurant in the Olinville section of the Bronx.
The restaurant's owner, Eddy De Jesus, who is a member of the Ruff Ryders motorcycle club, said of DMX, "I'm a Ruff Ryder because of him. I look up to the family Ruff Ryders because of what he represents, and what the family represents — unity."
Former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang appears to be firming up his lead in the New York City mayoral race, according to a new Data For Progress poll.
Politico reported Thursday the poll found that 26% of voters are supporting Yang, double the 13% who said they would support Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.
City Comptroller Scott Stringer received 11% of support, while former City Hall attorney and MSNBC legal analyst Maya Wiley came in fourth place at 10%.
A group of people marched across Manhattan Bridge late Monday to protest the death of 20-year-old Daunte Wright, a Black man who was shot and killed by a police officer at a traffic stop Sunday in Minneapolis.
A group marched from Brooklyn to Manhattan in Monday night's rain. The protests were peaceful and the New York City Police Department reported no arrests.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) cut off funding to a Brooklyn housing management group after an investigation revealed it violated anti-discrimination laws by not providing proper access to people with disabilities.
Carbrook Associates was reportedly notified of the “widespread architectural barriers” that violated federal discrimination law in 2019, but the company refused to bring its buildings in question into compliance.
An investigation found Carbrook received over $11.5 million from HUD over the 10 years preceding the inquiry to operate two housing developments for low-income families — apartments at 1577 Carroll Street and 440 Brooklyn Avenue in Crown Heights.
Jeanine Worden, HUD’s Acting Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, said, “HUD will not tolerate housing providers taking federal housing funds while shirking their civil rights obligations and refusing to cooperate with federal civil rights investigations.”
Organizers say the 39th annual Mermaid Parade in Coney Island will take place in person this year.
The arts festival should take place around late summer or early fall, according to Dick Zigun, the founder of the Coney Island USA non-profit.
The Mermaid Parade usually draws about 600,000 people to revel in elaborate costumes and festivities.
The organizers are cognizant of the risk that the festival could pose for COVID-19 if done wrong and said they’ll call off the parade if infection rates rise.
Zigun expects the organization will announce the details, including the date, on April 29 during an online benefit event.
Demonstrators gathered at Grand Army Plaza on Monday to march through Brooklyn and protest the killing of Daunte Wright.
The march in Brooklyn was part of a larger wave of protests against police violence in response to Wright’s killing in New York and around the country.
Protesters also gathered at Washington Square Park and Washington Heights on Monday for marches in response to the killing.
Further protests over Wright’s killing are planned in Brooklyn over the coming days.
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a new $50 million five-year "Community Care Plan" on Wednesday.
The plan aims to provide 25 new senior centers in underserved neighborhoods and includes funding for senior transportation services and shopping assistance. The initiative will also work to expand home care assistance and home meal deliveries.
"We’ve got to do a lot more for our seniors, now and for the future, and we have to reach them in new ways. There are lots of communities where there is just not enough support available for our seniors," de Blasio said.
Gov. Cuomo on Wednesday announced that the 11 p.m. curfew for bars and restaurants will be moved to midnight. Additionally, the curfew for catered events will move from midnight to 1 a.m.
A number of city restaurants had expressed concern over the pandemic-related restriction, arguing that it adversely affected revenue.
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