English Español Consumer alert issued on discriminatory practices ahead of Passover “New York has zero tolerance for antisemitism and discrimination of any kind,” said Attorney General Letitia James (center), here at an April 2nd event with the non-profit Met Council. Holiday alert. New Yorkers are being urged to be careful of potential discriminatory pricing practices at car washes and with other cleaning services in the days leading up to Passover. This year, Passover starts before sundown on Monday, April 22, and concludes after nightfall on April 30. The eight-day holiday is ..read more

English Español Quitting for good Help is available. Crystal G. started smoking menthol cigarettes at 11. It was just a few at first. But by 14, her smoking had increased to a pack a day. She wasn’t alone. Both her parents smoked, and her babysitter even taught her how to make O-shapes when exhaling. But the 63-year-old retiree recently celebrated 18 entire months without a smoke. She had tried to quit before but had not been successful. An unfortunate accident at home prompted a new turn of events – an incident that Crystal now terms “a blessing in disguise.” “In June of 2022, I fell in m ..read more

English Español Celestial Safety Get ready to gaze. Be solar safe. New Yorkers are being urged to take precautions ahead of the once-in-a-generation celestial event ahead – the Total Solar Eclipse – on Monday, April 8. On April 8, a total solar eclipse, which is when the moon passes between the sun and the earth, will encompass the western and northern parts of New York State with the roughly 100-mile-wide path of totality entering in the southwestern part of the state at just after 3:15 p.m. and departing northern New York just before 3:30 p.m. The total eclipse is a once-i ..read more

English Español Holiday Haul Over $27 Million in Unused Gift Cards Recovered in 2023 Use holiday gift cards soon. Cash in your cards. Fresh off the holiday season, New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli is urging New Yorkers to keep track of the gift cards they received during the holidays – and to use them. In 2023, the Comptroller’s Office of Unclaimed Funds (OUF) recovered over $27 million from gift cards. Unused gift card balances can be turned over to the OUF after five years of inactivity. “Many people don’t realize that after 5 years, unused gift card balances are turned over ..read more

English Español Spectrum Scholarship Program Opens Selected college students receive $20,000 in aid and professional development opportunities Applications have opened for the Spectrum Scholars program. On your marks, scholars. Applications have opened for Spectrum Scholars, the annual college scholarship program offered by Charter Communications, Inc. Launched in 2020, the scholarships are offered to underrepresented college students with financial need. Each of the rising college juniors selected for the 2024-2025 program will receive a $20,000 scholarship, a Charter mentor and the oppor ..read more

English Español “They did nothing wrong” Survivors and advocates seek to raise awareness of looming Nov. 23 deadline By Debralee Santos Former OB/GYN Robert Hadden was convicted of federal sexual abuse and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Three generations of back-breaking construction work can get in your blood – even if you never sling concrete. Anthony DiPietro’s mother was 18 when he was born; his father was older by a hair, 19. It was not an easy life. “My dad worked construction and absolutely hated his job,” said DiPietro. “It destroyed his body, working in the coldest of winters an ..read more

English Español New recognition awarded to Hospitals CFO Ellen Barlis. Ellen Barlis likes Pilates. The strength training exercise – and reading – are two of the pastimes that help Barliss manager her responsibilities as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi|North Central Bronx. Barlis has served at the HHC site for sixteen years and has been CFO for the last five years, managing Jacobi’s budget and finances during the Covid pandemic. “We have to do what’s right for our patients while ensuring our long-term solvency,” said Barlis. “Our doors are open to help the nex ..read more

English Español Keeping Our Communities Safe from Fentanyl By Eric L. Adams I was working as a police officer during the 1980’s. I saw how crack devastated our communities because the resources were not there. We must do everything in our power to confront — and defeat —the fentanyl crisis. That means education, that means treatment, and that means enforcement. Nicolas Feliz Dominici. Public safety is our administration’s top priority, and keeping New Yorkers safe from the growing threat of fentanyl is a core part of that mission. All of us have heard about the danger fentanyl po ..read more

English Español “Full and Fair” D.A. issues first restitution from Stolen Wage Fund Construction workers received wages owed. In March 2021, construction workers at the midtown Virgin Hotel reported missing paychecks and wage theft. They were employees of Ampak Electrical Services and had been performing electrical work at the hotel. Their charges prompted a joint investigation between the New York State Department of Labor (DOL), the New York City Department of Investigation (DOI), and the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s Office – prompting the now-shuttered electrical services c ..read more

English Español Lights Up City Hall was bathed in yellow lights at sundown to mark the remembrance. In 1998, the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition was established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on August 24th. The day commemorates the start of a 1791 uprising in Santo Domingo (now Haiti and the Dominican Republic) among the enslaved people of Haiti. The events would culminate in both the Haitian Revolution and the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. Battle of San Domingo, also known as the Ba ..read more