Author: Newyorki

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is effectively retreating from one of his campaign commitments, acknowledging that building affordable housing on the Elizabeth Street Garden site in Lower Manhattan has become extremely difficult following actions taken by former Mayor Eric Adams’ administration. During his mayoral campaign, Mamdani backed plans to develop affordable housing on the roughly one-acre garden in Nolita. The proposed project, known as Haven Green, envisioned 123 affordable apartments primarily for low-income seniors, while retaining a smaller amount of public green space. But the legal landscape surrounding the property changed dramatically shortly before Mamdani took office. In November…

New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James have sharply criticized a federal plan to equip U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers with gloves capable of delivering painful electric shocks, escalating an already intense dispute between New York officials and the federal government over immigration enforcement. The Department of Homeland Security is considering spending between $10 million and $20 million to purchase thousands of devices known as the G.L.O.V.E. — Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter. The equipment resembles ordinary patrol gloves but can be activated to deliver an electrical shock through direct contact with a person’s skin. Federal…

Federal authorities have charged 11 people in New York in connection with what prosecutors describe as one of the largest marriage-fraud operations ever prosecuted in the United States, accusing the group of arranging sham marriages to help foreign nationals obtain green cards and legal immigration status. The alleged operation was run from New York and continued for more than a decade. According to the U.S. Justice Department, the network is believed to have arranged more than 1,000 fraudulent marriages, primarily involving Chinese nationals seeking permanent residency in the United States. Prosecutors allege that organizers recruited American citizens willing to enter…

A 10-year-old girl suffered devastating injuries after an illegal M-80 firecracker exploded in her hand at a Staten Island park, while a New York City Parks Department employee has been charged in connection with the incident. The explosion occurred Tuesday evening at General Douglas MacArthur Park in Dongan Hills, where police say the child had found the firework in a nearby field and was trying to get someone to help her light it. According to authorities and court documents, 24-year-old Parks Department employee Joshua Moe allegedly provided the girl with a lighter that she then used to ignite the M-80.…

New York City is getting a break from the recent stretch of unsettled summer weather on Wednesday, August 12, with generally brighter conditions expected before the chance of thunderstorms increases again on Thursday. According to CBS New York’s First Alert Weather team, Wednesday will feature mostly sunny skies with a forecast temperature around 85°F (29°C) and only a slight possibility of an isolated shower. The relatively quiet conditions offer New Yorkers a more favorable window for outdoor activities following periods of intense summer heat and thunderstorms across the Tri-State Area earlier in the week. The calmer pattern, however, may be…

New Yorkers will have an opportunity to witness a partial solar eclipse today, Wednesday, August 12, as the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun during one of the most anticipated astronomical events of 2026. New York City lies outside the path of totality, but residents will still see the Moon partially obscure the Sun. According to NASA timing reported by ABC7 New York, the eclipse is expected to reach its maximum in New York City at approximately 1:54 p.m. Eastern Time. The event is part of a much larger total solar eclipse sweeping across sections of the Northern Hemisphere.…

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani held a closed-door meeting with a group of prominent rabbis at City Hall as his administration faces continuing questions over relations with the city’s Jewish community, antisemitic hate crimes and his outspoken criticism of Israel. The roughly hour-long meeting brought together 10 rabbis from Reform, Conservative and Modern Orthodox communities. Participants described the conversation as candid and respectful, with several raising concerns that Mamdani’s rhetoric regarding Israel could leave some Jewish New Yorkers feeling increasingly isolated or unsafe. The discussion also focused on antisemitism and security in New York City. Rabbis pointed to recent…

A new political and legal battle is unfolding in New York City over the pied-à-terre tax, a controversial surcharge targeting luxury homes that are not used as their owners’ primary residences. The dispute intensified after Staten Island Supreme Court Justice Wayne Ozzi temporarily blocked parts of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration’s rollout of the tax following a lawsuit by three homeowners. The challenge focuses largely on how the city implemented the surcharge, rather than the underlying legality of the tax itself. The measure targets luxury second homes valued at $5 million or more and was promoted by Mamdani and New York…

A survivor of the deadly New York Harbor boat accident near Liberty Island has provided new details about the chaotic rescue, saying darkness and difficult conditions on the water complicated efforts to reach passengers after the vessel capsized. The accident occurred at approximately 10:30 p.m. on August 8, when a boat carrying 14 people overturned near the Statue of Liberty. Survivor Jorge Ortiz told CBS New York that the darkness made it difficult for rescuers and passengers to see one another as people struggled in the water. The tragedy killed 27-year-old Sara Sanchez of Queens and her five-month-old daughter, Antonella…

A New York City Council employee who spent more than five months in federal immigration detention has been granted asylum, bringing a major turn in a case that drew attention from city officials and immigration advocates. Rafael Rubio, a Venezuela-born data analyst for the City Council, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on January 12 while attending what he described as a routine asylum interview in Bethpage, Long Island. He was subsequently held at Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey, for more than five months. Rubio’s case initially appeared to be heading toward deportation to Venezuela. However,…