New york city

Since the pandemic began to wane, New York-watchers have stoked fears about an urban doom loop : Millennials like me — liberated from the chains of our desks — would abandon Midtown Manhattan and perhaps the city or state altogether in search of lower costs of living. The commercial tax base would be obliterated, leaving no funds to support essential services like the subway. To prevent this dystopian future, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams convened an expert panel that I served on, and they released the “ Making New York Work for Everyone ” plan (also known as the “‘New’ New York” plan) in December, a sweeping set of 40 proposals to keep the economy humming. The goals of the plan, broadly, are to reimagine the city’s business districts, to make it easier for New Yorkers to get to work, and to generate inclusive growth that positions the city to “lead the emerging industries of the 21st century.” But now, it is budget season in Albany. The proverbial “three men in a … [Read more...] about Will Ambitious Plans for a ‘New’ New York Get Crushed in Albany?

A lawyer for Donald Trump has claimed the hush money investigation into him is "dead," one week from the day the former president claimed he would be arrested as part of the probe. Trump attorney Lindsey Halligan told Newsmax that the "weak" case against the former president is ending with no indictment for the Republican. Halligan's claim appeared to be more of a suggestion rather than an indication from authorities, adding that if Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg 's inquiry is not "dead" then "it should be." Trump made an uncorroborated claim that he would be arrested in New York on Tuesday, March 21 , as part of the investigation into whether the $130,000 he arranged to be paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep an alleged affair the pair had a secret before the 2016 election amounted to a campaign violation. Trump has denied any wrongdoing, and denies having an affair with Daniels in 2006. It is widely believed that a grand jury in New York who have … [Read more...] about Trump lawyer claims hush money probe is “dead” as investigation continues

One week after his anticipated arrest by New York City prosecutors failed to materialize, former President Donald Trump has a theory on why the grand jury investigating his role in an alleged hush money scheme has suddenly and, without warning , gone quiet: They've got nothing on him. Taking to Truth Social on Tuesday morning, Trump—who is currently under investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office for campaign finance violations for paying off former adult film star Stormy Daniels in an effort to influence the 2016 presidential election—speculated the grand jury had grown skeptical of the DA's case, and was refusing to act as a "rubber stamp" for the prosecution. Late Tuesday night, multiple news outlets reported that the panel convened by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg would not be meeting as originally expected Wednesday, marking the second time in a week the panel had canceled its behind-closed-doors proceedings without explanation. After … [Read more...] about Trump celebrates sudden change to grand jury schedule

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails TikTok’s chief executive failed to give assurances that China doesn’t interfere in the app or that its software can be used to spy on users as he faced tough questions at a hearing in the United States Congress. Shou Zi Chew was portrayed as evasive by a hostile committee following fears the Chinese-owned video platform should be barred because of security concerns and because it carries content that can harm children’s mental health. He told Republican representative Cathy McMorris-Rodgers he could not “100 per cent guarantee” that Beijing was not influencing parts of the app. She also asked if Mr Chew could say with certainty that the app could not be used to spy on journalists or other US citizens. He declined to give that same commitment. It led her to accuse TikTok of being a “weapon” that could be … [Read more...] about TikTok boss can’t guarantee China doesn’t interfere with app or spy on users

Sports Video games NBA Gamers The cramped room in Midtown Manhattan was packed wall-to-wall with YouTubers—a relentlessly cheery bunch—the lot of them excitedly live-streaming, likes and comments bobbing across their screens. It was August, and the crowd was previewing the latest product from the NBA 2K video game series—NBA 2K18, which was released Friday to those who pre-ordered—and the event was crowded with elite gamers, social media stars, 2K staffers and, pocked about the room, honest-to-God, in-the-flesh NBA players. Security stood at the front door. Booze flowed from a bar in the back. TVs pinstriped the length of the room, cutting it into even rows. That was the main attraction, with the gamers lining up, jostling through the morass of people to get their turn on the joysticks (all of this, of course, beamed over the internet to 2K devotees). In a room full of presumed NBA fans it was somewhat disorienting to see these NBA players—Brooklyn Nets guard … [Read more...] about Virtual Meets Reality: Inside NBA 2K and Pro Basketball

The mastermind behind The Roller Wave, a traveling roller disco pop-up, is trying to revive an activity that was once a cornerstone of leisure and kinship in Black communities across the U.S. Harry Martin, its 33-year-old founder, describes roller discos as “a party on wheels.” His latest project, The Roller Wave House BK, is a long-term installation set up in Brooklyn, New York, that pays homage to “old-school” roller-skating rinks with modern amenities like a live podcast space and art installations. But before Black Americans could explore their love of roller-skating, their mere presence in roller rinks was barred in those segregated spaces, even after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed. In the 1960s, only one night a week was set aside for Black skaters in the rink, and it was typically dubbed “Soul Night” or “Martin Luther King Jr. Night,” Martin said. “This is Black culture, Latino, Latina culture going to these skating rinks,” Martin said. “We’re the ones that … [Read more...] about Roller-skating, an old-school refuge for Black Americans, is getting a revival

Get ready for big increases in premiums under the Affordable Care Act. A new analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation examined the most popular individual plans under the new health care law in 14 major cities around the country and found that insurers were asking for increases in 2017 that are twice as big as this year’s. There is wide variation, including some places where rates will go down, but the average requested increase is 10 percent. While it will be months before insurers and regulators agree to final rates for the coming year, the Kaiser analysis confirms the signals we have seen from industry and government experts — that consumers and the federal government are likely to see much higher prices in many markets. Clearly, insurers are struggling to figure out how much to charge so they can cover their costs but still attract customers. As health care reporters, we’ve been debating exactly how worried one should be about the fate of the Affordable Care Act, known … [Read more...] about Yes, Obamacare Premiums Are Going Up

On the morning of Oct. 5, President Bush and his education secretary, Margaret Spellings, paid a visit, along with camera crews from CNN and Fox News, to Friendship-Woodridge Elementary and Middle Campus, a charter public school in Washington. The president dropped in on two classrooms, where he asked the students, almost all of whom were African-American and poor, if they were planning to go to college. Every hand went up. “See, that’s a good sign,” the president told the students when they assembled later in the gym. “Going to college is an important goal for the future of the United States of America.” He singled out one student, a black eighth grader named Asia Goode, who came to Woodridge four years earlier reading “well below grade level.” But things had changed for Asia, according to the president. “Her teachers stayed after school to tutor her, and she caught up,” he said. “Asia is now an honors student. She loves reading, and she sings in the school choir.” Bush’s Woodridge … [Read more...] about What It Takes to Make a Student

In 1980 an ecologist and an economist chose a refreshingly unacademic way to resolve their differences. They bet $1,000. Specifically, the bet was over the future price of five metals, but at stake was much more -- a view of the planet's ultimate limits, a vision of humanity's destiny. It was a bet between the Cassandra and the Dr. Pangloss of our era. They lead two intellectual schools -- sometimes called the Malthusians and the Cornucopians, sometimes simply the doomsters and the boomsters -- that use the latest in computer-generated graphs and foundation-generated funds to debate whether the world is getting better or going to the dogs. The argument has generally been as fruitless as it is old, since the two sides never seem to be looking at the same part of the world at the same time. Dr. Pangloss sees farm silos brimming with record harvests; Cassandra sees topsoil eroding and pesticide seeping into ground water. Dr. Pangloss sees people living longer; Cassandra sees rain … [Read more...] about Betting on the Planet

close Video We were denied by 50+ libraries that held drag queen story hours: Kirk Cameron ‘As You Grow’ author Kirk Cameron discusses the struggles he's faced working with ‘woke’ libraries on ‘Fox News @ Night.’ Actor and writer Kirk Cameron is pushing ahead with another public library book-focused event on Wednesday, March 29, stressing faith, family and country — this time in Washington, D.C. — even though he and his book publisher have received pushback ahead of the event, they told Fox News Digital. The story program is taking place beginning at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday at the Cleveland Park Library on Connecticut Avenue in the nation's capital . Cameron and Brave Books have specifically said they reject the many drag queen story hours that have been held and continue to be held across the country — instead choosing to offer "fun" and "wholesome" events for families and children. KIRK CAMERON REJECTS DRAG QUEEN STORY TIME, IS … [Read more...] about In D.C., an undaunted Kirk Cameron is holding a public library book reading despite pushback