Council members of the subcommittee for early childhood education came forward to talk about the expansion of 2k enrollment and the failure to reimburse workers. One of the bigger challenges facing the program.

Earlier this year in April, Mayor Mamdani announced that this fall, his administration would launch a free 2K program starting with 2,000 seats in five districts, including District 6 in Manhattan and District 10 in the Bronx. These programs would run on a full-day, full-year schedule in partnership with NYC Public Schools and funding from the state. The success of the program depends on its expansion.

Wednesday’s hearing focused on payment delays for education workers and the plan to expand the program  by 2,000 seats to 12,000 seats by fall 2027. 

Henry Rubio, president of the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators, spoke about the delayed payment of providers.  “The financial difficulties that providers once again face demonstrate why the city’s council’s oversight matters,” Rubio stated when he testified to the council.

Emmy Liss, executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Child Care and Early Childhood Education, said the city offered additional contracts for providers who weren’t getting paid. As a short-term solution, she said, the city expedited interest-free bridge loans, as well as  direct assistance to help programs prepare for the school year. 

Erica Phillips, Deputy Chancellor of Early Childhood Education, spoke to the financial strains. “The city took steps to help programs manage those immediate pressures while contracts and payments moved forward,” she said.

Phillips also spoke about the expansion and how public schools plan to support the program. By hiring over 200 employees across Early Childhood and other agency offices, she said, the city is showing its commitment to provider stability.

“Our ability to expand 2K depends on a strong network of community-based organizations and family child care programs that can continue to deliver high- quality care for children and families,” Phillips stated.

The challenges that come with contracting and payments may be the biggest hurdle in the infrastructure as plans for expansion will continue to accelerate.

For families solving this this could bring the city one step closer to Mayor Mamdani’s goal of universal child care, and free high quality childcare.

Ten individuals donated about $481 million to Trump’s 2024 campaign, accounting for 44% of all money raised, according to a lawyer for the Brennan Center. The revelation came during a meeting hosted by NY State Senator Liz Krueger to discuss the impact of big money on politics on September 29. Marina Pino, an attorney with the Brennan Center for Justice, a non-profit law and policy institute, joined Krueger to discuss methods to limit the influence of corporate special interest super PACs.

Speaking on Zoom, Pino explained the ubiquity of superPACs and dark money in politics, highlighted the importance of campaign fund transparency, and offered some viable alternatives. “We’ve seen superPACs work in tandem with candidates and parties,” she said, “to the point where affiliate superPAC are now integral to most major campaigns.”

Krueger expressed concern, and wondered aloud if big money was subverting Americans’ ability to hold their elected officials accountable. “That’s how our democracy is supposed to work,” she said. 

Although the Federal Election Committee’s role is to monitor campaigns, Pino explained that a combination of Supreme Court decisions and government corruption have weakened its ability to do so.

A superPAC is a political committee formed to solicit and spend unlimited sums of money, according to Ballotpedia, a digital encyclopedia of American politics. Unlike PACs(political action committees), super PACs aren’t officially categorized as political committees, so the same limits do not apply.

In 2010, the Supreme Court struck down prohibitions on corporate spending in a case known as Citizens United, opening the flood gates for corporate money to flow unchecked into American politics, explained Pino.

She went on to explain how this decision created an ecosystem where corporations can bankroll the campaigns for causes and candidates they believe will further their interests, while undermining the decision-making power of voters. “Americans believe that the interests of billionaires and other wealthy interests are prioritized over those of the general public,” said Pino. 

Polling from the Brennan Center supports this: the center found that 62% of Americans feel that corruption in politics is a “very big problem.”

While superPACs have been influential in past elections, Pino said the 2024 presidential election was unique in that both campaigns relied primarily on superPAC mega-donors for core campaign activities. Roughly 44% of all money raised to support Trump, about $481 million, came from ten individual donors, according to findings published by the Visual Capitalist, an online data analyst tracker.

Kamala Harris received about $126 million from the top ten donors to her campaign, about eight percent. 

Pino described how this system of campaign funding can place outsized influence into the hands of individual billionaires. 

In the run up to the 2024 Presidential election, Elon Musk alone donated $240 million to super PACs for the Trump campaign. These groups funded direct mailings and canvassing, and hired spokesperson consultants in swing states. “He essentially became part of the Trump campaign,” said Pino, pointing out that Musk frequently appeared on stage and at rallies alongside Trump.

Shortly after taking office, Trump appointed Musk head of the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency, tasked with targeting excessive government spending.

In the current Texas Senate race, a single oil businessman contributed $750,000 to state attorney general Ken Paxton through the superPAC Lone Star Liberty, which funneled six million dollars to the Paxton campaign.

Earlier this month, Politico reported that Lone Star Liberty was planning a $15 million ad campaign to support Paxton, whose platform includes limiting abortion access (even in the case of life threatening complications) in his race for US Senate against Democrat James Talarico.

Watchdog groups such as the Brennan Center are also concerned with dark money, or funding for candidates and causes whose origins are difficult to discern, and often intentionally obscured.

501(c)4 non-profit organizations are exempt from disclosing the identities of their donors, as long as they don’t claim politics as a primary focus. By applying for non-profit status, superPACs can funnel high volumes of capital into campaigns of their choosing, while retaining the anonymity of their investors. This loophole, enabled by Citizens United, has “undeniably had a negative impact on campaign politics,” wrote Noelle Shih for the Columbia Undergraduate Law Review. Voters are the ones who suffer, she wrote, “as they are unable to access the information needed to make an informed choice.”

In the weeks leading up to the 2020 presidential election, The Future Forward PAC, the largest Democrat superPAC, spent $108 million on ads for the Biden campaign. $74 million of that fund came from un-disclosed donors.

Pino pointed to donation match fund programs as a way to minimize corporate influence on elections. Match fund programs work by matching small contributions from individuals with a larger amount provided by a state fund. In NYC, candidates running for public office can apply to the program to have donations by their supporters matched at a one to eight ratio by city funds. “If you give ten dollars to a local candidate running for a city council seat, they receive $90,” explained NYCVOTES, an initiative of the New York City Campaign Finance Board. According to the NYCVOTES website, 94% of candidates in the 2021 primary participated in the program.

Climate Week is in full swing in New York City (NYC), and Sustaining All Life (SAL), a partner grassroots organization of Re-evaluation Counseling (RC), is taking a different approach to helping to solve the climate crisis. The two groups led a workshop on Sept. 22 at Berkeley College in midtown to offer tools and resources to activists to avoid burnout and make connections between the challenges of fighting racism and combating climate change.

“I think we all see [racism and the climate emergency] sort of passively, but sometimes you need to shine a light on it,” said Dyresha Harris, a volunteer delegate who helped lead the workshop. “One thing I haven’t really seen outside of [SAL] is a tool and a space to unlearn the things that we’ve learned that get in the way of our activism, and get in the way of us working well together.” 

SAL focuses on providing emotional regulation and conflict tools to interested individuals and groups alike to unite them in their fight against the climate crisis, and support activists, new and seasoned alike. They utilize these connections to create an activism “network” and allow each activist to help in their own way.

“We want people to think for themselves what they think makes the most sense, and go out in the world and do it, and use us as your support base,” said Diane Shisk, a founding member of SAL.

SAL and UER provide these tools to ensure all solutions made by the movement are strong and inclusive of those it affects. Harris warns that any weakness threatens a proposed solution, either “festering” on its own or “can be leveraged or manipulated by people” opposed to the solutions. 

During the meeting, the organizations led multiple “listening exchanges,” a tool used since RC’s founding in the 1950s, to combat emotional burnout and conflicts. Listening exchanges involve giving each participant equal, uninterrupted time to express their feelings about any given topic without criticism, comment, or judgment from the others. 

While conversation about internalized racism is commonplace, the lack of conversation as to how to approach and solve the problem is a point of concern for Harris. 

The workshops and tools, given by SAL and UER, provide the solution lacking from these conversations, “other than just noticing [internalized racism] and feeling bad about it,” according to Harris.  

The workshop focused on building interpersonal skills and teaching methods to boost unification with those one might not necessarily agree with. Apathy is a “dangerous” part of the climate change conversation, according to Harris.  

“Because we are actually connected, we‘re on one planet, so the more we stop caring about any group of people, and what happens to them, the more it spreads,” said Harris. 

Racism and division stick with people long after the event happens, with the message internalizing in the person, according to Hoa-Li Tai, a volunteer delegate for SAL and UER. 

Closing the gaps between people is critical to advance their activism, according to Tai.

“The ability to heal out hurts is what’s gonna allow us to build that mass movement of diverse peoples we need to build [despite] all the divisions there are currently in the country,” said Tai. 

While SAL, RC, and UER do not have a solely political agenda as a support network, Tai believes the next step is uniting the people to pressure global political leadership to take action on solutions already envisioned by scientists and environmentalists. 

“This might be the biggest human project ever.  […] We know how to [solve the climate crisis],” said Tai. “So, what’s really missing is the political will.”

   The support given by SAL, RC, and UER is at a critical time, according to SAL member Shisk. 

   “We encourage people to be both involved in this movement of emotional support, which we think is important, and some movement in the world,” said Shisk. “Because we think if we don’t change the world, we’re not gonna have it forever.”

Brooklyn’s Community Educational Council for District 20 opened the school year by debatingAI use and screen time, youth vaping, and enrollment issues for middle schools at its monthly
meeting on September 9.

The meeting was held at P.S. 310 – The School of Future Leaders in Sunset Park. The event was open to the public and via Zoom at 6 p.m. The meeting was run by District 20 president John Riccottone.

“I think we need to return to basics, you know, that we know works, which is live in person instruction,” Senator Andrew Gournades, Chairman of the Committee on Budget And Revenue said in regards to AI being used in the classroom.

He then praised school chancellor, Kamar Samuels and Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s one year delay on students facing generative AI. “There’s no reason for young kids to have to be taught solely off of screens and solely off of apps.”

Superintendent of District 20 Dr. David Pretto added to this issue, displaying the NYC public school guidance on Artificial Intelligence and screen time. AI is to be banned from Kindergarten to 8th grade with varied screentime options. The high school curriculum has restricted use to specific software such as AI literacy, career readiness, and limited AI pilots.

“What we are really looking to make sure is being reduced and eliminated is passive, unstructured time on a computer in the classroom,” Pretto said

As far as teacher-facing AI policies, teachers are allowed to use AI for instructional planning and operational tasks. These include brainstorming, lesson planning, drafting emails, streamlining operations, professional learning, and translation.

“What is not allowed Teacher-facing AI cannot be used for grading, behavior monitoring, placement, promotion, graduation, or other decisions about students,” Pretto said.

All special education documents will be developed by qualified professionals and counseling, crisis intervention, and therapeutic support are provided only by qualified staff, all of which are exceptions to this policy in regards to teaching use.

E-cigarette use and distribution, punishment is given based on severity. Council member Alina Lewis discussed Districts 20 resolution to combat tobacco and E-cigarette use and distribution amongst students.

The initial possession of such products calls for education and intervention. A mandatory intervention conference must be convened with the student, parents/guardians, and the school guidance counselor. The student and parent must jointly complete a designated substance hazard education and cessation support program. A second offense calls for behavioral support and counseling. Repeated offenses shall be referred to the Principal and District Superintendent for administrative review.

Lewis also mentioned the District 20 solution to its declining enrollment, inviting the audience to read the online resolution. According to the District 20 council resolution, middle schools in this district have seen a 6.8% decline in admissions over the past five years and elementary school enrollment has declined 11.4%. The New York City Department of Education conducted an exit survey of parents who have left the system. The number one reason for leaving was “more rigorous education than possible in NYC.”

This is a citywide issue, with NYC public school enrollment falling nearly 12% between 2024–25. According to the New York Times, NYC Public schools could lose over 100,000 students over the next decade due to birthrate trends, migration patterns, housing production, home schooling and Charter schools enrollment increasing.

Middle schools have begun using academic screening, which examines students’ standardized test scores and report cards as opposed to being selected by a lottery or neighborhood based zoning. The proposals suggest that seats should be screened without affecting special education programs including NEST and IREAD.

As the 2026-2027 school year gets underway, these policies, both academic and safety, are set to bring out the best in student performance and growth.

Every Tuesday at 6 pm for the last year, a vigil organized by Indivisible Brooklyn, a civic engagement group, and Good Shepherd Lutheran Church has met outside Metropolitan Detention Center to protest treatment of people detained inside.

A group of around 30 people gathered on the corner of Third Avenue and 29th Street in Brooklyn for the most recent of these vigils. Some held handmade signs aloft as organizers took turns speaking through a small PA system.

A strange, hollow tapping sound was all that could be heard in the spaces between remarks. Those present could see dozens of vague human forms behind narrow, scrummy plexiglass windows in the holding cells above as detainees registered their existence by tapping on the glass. In a wordless exchange, the protesters below raised their hands in greeting.

MDC is known for housing Nicholas Maduro, the deposed president of Venezuela; Diddy, the disgraced music mogul; and Luigi Mangioni, who has pleaded guilty to gunning down a United Healthcare CEO. Since June of 2025, MDC has added to that population people arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on immigration charges.

Although they have been arrested on federal felony charges, these new detainees often lack a criminal background.

According to the website of representative Dan Goldman, Congressman for the 10th district in Brooklyn, who has visited the site several times to inspect conditions, many of these detainees do not have criminal records.

Protestors hope their sustained presence outside the center will help to draw attention to the detainees’ situation.

“A lot of the time, people don’t see what’s happening,” said Michael Flynn, 72, who has been attending the Tuesday vigil for over a year, “unless you actually see someone picked up.” Flynn says he wants to build people’s awareness. “It’s a horrible facility. It’s important that these places gain notoriety.”

According to the official Federal Bureau of Prisons website, MDC holds 1,222 detainees on immigration related charges. Organizers of the vigils believe that as many as 1,200 could be people arrested by ICE arrests. MDC has yet to release exact numbers.

The figures reflect an increase in ICE arrests over the past month, as the Federal operation known as Operation Rotten Apple rocked communities between July 27 and Aug 29. In a statement last week, Homeland Security Officials announced that 2,197 people were arrested across the state last month. According to North Country Public Radio, which serves the northernmost area of the state, these numbers are the highest since the Trump administration began its crackdown, and represent a 40% increasE since the previous month, according to findings by The Deportation Data Project.

The Department of Justice investigated MDC following the 2020 death of inmate Jamel Floyd. Advocates continue to call into question conditions inside the detention center.

Attempts to provide necessities to detainees remain ongoing. Anna Sugrue, 28, is a co-founder of The Remedy Project, a detainee advocacy group. She was onsite to encourage the donation of clothing for people inside. Among complaints received by the group are the conditions of the beds provided to detainees. “Imagine laundry lint, or the insulation in a wall,” said Sugrue.

According to Sugrue, the group has heard from loved ones of detainees that access to clean drinking water was limited over the summer, with some resorting to boiling whatever water was available in order to drink it.

Although Rep. Goldman has been able to visit the site several times, his website says that was only after repeatedly being “illegally denied” entrance to the center. This was in spite of the Bureau of Prisons ‘(BOP) previous promises to accommodate a congressional oversight visits.

“It’s like a black box,” said Sugrue. “It’s not like the guards go around saying, today I did this or that bad thing,” She added that the Remedy Project helps detainees to formally lodge complaints and grievances in order to create a paper trail of accountability.

“I feel kind of personally responsible,” says Rev. Juan Carlos, 57, of Good Shepherd, co-founder of The New Sanctuary Coalition, of his involvement, “because I don’t live too far from here.”

New York has the highest concentration of Puerto Ricans in the world outside Puerto Rico, but Puerto Rican Studies across City University of New York  has consistently been defunded and understaffed, and often a target for political attack. Puerto Rican and Latin Studies (PRLS)  at Brooklyn College has too few tenured lines meet the minimum requirements for a CUNY department at CUNY: only two tenured faculty remain, several courses run only every two or three years, and the department’s operating budget is less than half what it was in the early 1990s, adjusted for inflation.  

Today, according to CUNY, Brooklyn College is nearly 24 percent Latino, but Puerto Rican students say they cannot find enough courses on the history, diaspora and identity of Puerto Ricans on campus.  

This is not a new situation. In 2022, student Maria Hernandez told Brooklyn College Vanguard “there are barely any classes about our history anymore. Maybe one or two a semester, how is that enough for a Latino campus?”  

At that time, the Vanguard reported that PRLS lacked a viable majority of tenured faculty, despite two new faculty being hired. Students expressed fear that it would be merged with another department as had occurred in previous rounds of cutbacks at CUNY in the 1980s and 1990s. Dr.Virginia Sanchez Korrl, a historian who helped shape the field, warned that eliminating tenure lines in ethnic studies amounts to “disciplinary death.” 

When the Puerto Rican Studies Department, the forerunner of PRLS,  was founded in the early 1970s, fewer than 1% of the students at Brooklyn College were Puerto Rican. Despite having thousands of Latino students today, the department has less funding and fewer resources than some directors of the department had several decades previously.  

By 2007 the Center for Puerto Rican Studies, CENTRO, at Hunter College reported  that Puerto Rican Studies programs at CUNY were consistently “diminished… primarily for budgetary reasons” whenever those programs were placed under the purview of other ethnic studies departments. 

Students say these pressures continue today and are part of a larger pattern of reducing humanities classes. During the COVID-era budget cuts, CUNY eliminated over 3,000 adjunct class sections, disproportionately affecting humanities programs.  

“This is about what stories get told, and which ones get erased,” said Dr. Yarimar Bonilla, director of CENTRO, during a 2023 public panel on austerity and Puerto Rican cultural institutions. “Ethnic studies programs are structurally underfunded because they challenge the status quo. That is not accidental.” 

Bonilla has also warned that austerity measures typically accompany periods of political mobilization for marginalized people. 

“In times of crisis, policing, colonialism, Palestine, there is always pressure to shrink the spaces where critical conversations happen.” 

In 2024, CUNY received a $5 million grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to continue and expand the Black, Race, and Ethnic Studies Initiative (BRESI), allowing Brooklyn College, among other schools, to offer new courses, support academic research, and offer internships. But experts say BRESI cannot reverse decades of erosion. 

“This is patchwork,” an ethnic studies researcher said during a public BRESI briefing in 2022. “Useful, but not a substitute for rebuilding what decades of cuts eroded.” 

Some PRLS students have noted a relationship between CUNY’s funding priorities and the wider national atmosphere on Palestine activism. After pro-Palestine demonstrations on campuses nationwide, administrators faced pressure from donors, elected officials, and the media to more rigorously scrutinize curriculum and activism taking place in ethnic studies environments. Some students argue that austerity leaves PRLS especially vulnerable to these pressures. 

Some PRLS students say the climate at CUNY has shifted further in the past year, shaped by national backlash to pro-Palestine demonstrations and new campus disciplinary practices. Students at multiple CUNY campuses reported receiving misconduct charges related to protest actions, including charges for “failures to comply,” “disruptive conduct,” and “unauthorized demonstration.” Brooklyn College’s Undergraduate Student Government and administration did not respond to repeated requests for  comment.   

Puerto Rican Alliance’s (PRA) president Angelina Rivera neologized the political climate surrounding ethnic studies as “the broader political environment exacerbated by campus protests,” referencing the campus conduct charges against students across CUNY related to the protests from the previous spring. She told the audience at the Encuentro event that “Our biggest issue as a club now is repression from the administration, especially against political activism,” in reference to the focus on PRLS and solidarity organizing.  

 “Even now, there are a lot of students facing conduct charges we’re still worrying about,” Rivera added. 

While PRLS fights for stability, other departments are growing. Jewish Studies programs across CUNY have received millions in philanthropic donations, including a $3 million donation to CUNY Queens College’s Jewish Studies program in 2023.  

Meanwhile, STEM programs receive more consistent investment: CUNY received $18 million in National Science Foundation STEM grants in 2023-2024. Brooklyn College’s new science facilities were funded through state capital allocations exceeding $100 million over the past decade.  

“STEM expansion is funded as the future,” Bonilla noted in the 2022 panel. “But communities also need the tools to understand power, race, and history. When those programs shrink, students lose more than classes, they lose the language to understand their world.” 

Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani made a surprise visit to the Bronx borough’s holiday tree lighting ceremony at Lou Gehrig Plaza of the Grand Concourse on December 5th.

Before the tree lighting which was sponsored by television station Univision, Bronx Borough President Vanesa Gibson introduced Mamdani to begin the ceremony. 

Mamdani expressed his appreciation for the borough and made promises to make the Bronx an affordable and safer place for locals.

“We are going to make sure that no longer The Bronx is the forgotten borough of the city,” said Mamdani.

Mamdani answered questions as to why the Bronx is considered a forgotten city. He explained that in many budget decisions the Bronx is not included. 

“This is going to be the borough where we deliver our fast and free buses, the borough where we deliver on rent freeze, the borough where we deliver universal child care,” said Mamdani.

As the Mayor-elect delivered his speech the crowd applauded and cheered.

“I was not aware that the Bronx was a forgotten borough but I hope Mamdani does keep his word,” said daycare worker Maria Cerano who was at the event. 

Gibson took the stage and informed the crowd of Univision’s annual toy giveaway for those hundreds of people who attended the ceremony.

As the night was filled with music and joy Santa arrived with bags of toys to hand out to the kids  one by one.

“I have brought my two kids to the toy giveaway and yet to be disappointed, many beautiful gifts that the kids enjoy”, said local Miranda Gomez.

Univision has partnered with past and current Bronx Borough presidents for their annual tree lighting at Lou Gehrig Plaza for many years. The ceremony has featured elected officials, high school choirs, NYPD bands, local musicians, and a Univision toy drive. 

Many people approach Mamdani asking questions on his future plans for the borough and suggestions on their unique situations.

“I know too many Bronx sites that are having to look at if they can even stay in this city any longer”, said Mamdani. “We are going to transform the most expensive city in this state”.

November is Puerto Rican Heritage Month, and New York has long recognized Puerto Rico’s cultural, political, and historical ties with the city. So when Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani traveled to Puerto Rico earlier this month and announced, “You cannot tell the story of New York City without telling the story of Puerto Rico,” Puerto Ricans did listen. His remarks circulated widely online at a time when the diaspora was already immersed in celebrating, commemorating, and reflecting on Puerto Rican history. 

Although Mamdani’s visit occurred during a season filled with historical anniversaries –the 1511 Taíno rebellion, the 1868 Grito de Lares, and the attack on the US House of Representatives led by Lolita Lebrón – that was not why he traveled to the island. He was there for the annual SOMOS conference, where New York politicians meet with Puerto Rican officials, community groups, and advocacy organizations. Still, the timing shaped how his comments were interpreted, especially by Puerto Ricans wary of symbolic gestures that do not lead to lasting political support. 

John W. Acevedo, a 27-year-old filmmaker from Ponce who moved to New York during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Mamdani’s message felt familiar but carried weight coming from a mayor-elect. Acevedo, who responded in Spanish, said that the island’s culture had historically been suppressed through anti-nationalist laws, such as the former criminalization of the Puerto Rican flag, creating what he described as “fear of repercussions.” “As a Puerto Rican, it feels like people hear us,” Acevedo said. “It’s nice to hear a mayor wants to help my main culture.” 

Still, Acevedo does not believe that anyone who has not lived on the island can fully understand the depth of its struggles. He pointed to experiences in Ponce, where residents lived without reliable electricity for years after Hurricane María and where federal relief arrived slowly or in limited amounts. “The hardship we’ve been through… those are struggles that I feel you would only truly understand when you live in it,” he said.  

Living in New York reshaped Acevedo’s view of Puerto Rico’s political status. He explained that while he once believed statehood was necessary for the island’s survival, he now fears it would erase the cultural identity that defines Puerto Rican life. “If we become a state, we will lose what made us truly Boricuas,” he said. “Our culture, our voices, our lifestyle would all be gone or down to minimal.”

For at least one Puerto Rican who grew up in New York, Mamdani’s trip resonated differently. Marisol Rivera, 22, a second-generation Puerto Rican from Brooklyn, said that hearing a mayor-elect openly acknowledge the island’s importance “validated and showed face,” especially during a month when cultural pride is foregrounded. Rivera said she hoped this year’s statements would lead to more consistent political support rather than holiday messaging that fades. “We’ve learned to wait and see what happens after the cameras leave,” she said.  

Rivera also questioned how much mainland politicians can realistically do for Puerto Rico. “They praise Puerto Rico in statements, but they do not send resources,” she said, adding that many visit during SOMOS but rarely return once the conference ends. She and Acevedo both noted that while New York City officials can fund programs for the diaspora and raise awareness about Puerto Rican issues. It is important to note: they cannot control federal disaster aid, economic policy, or the island’s political status, all of which fall under congressional and presidential authority.  

Rivera said her parents taught her about historical cycles of displacement, beginning with the economic restructuring of Operation Bootstrap, and the role Puerto Ricans in New York played in movements like the Young Lords. The Young Lords were a radical Puerto Rican organization founded in the late 1960s that fought for community control, anti-poverty programs, and self-determination in New York and Chicago. Riviera said those lessons shaped her expectations: “Just because we weren’t born on the island doesn’t mean we don’t feel what happens there.” 

Both Rivera and Acevedo were clear that meaningful change for the island will always depend on federal action, not municipal leaders. Yet, both expressed hopes for how New York City’s mayor could support Puerto Ricans living in the city. Acevedo said the priority should be “more respect for the community,” including attention to housing issues affecting Puerto Ricans displaced by economic crises. Riversa said she wants elected officials to “show up when it matters,” not only during holidays or photo opportunities. 

What Mamdani’s visit ultimately means, they argued, will depend on whether his statements evolve into consistent engagement. As Rivera put it: “If you believe in this, it’s not just in November.”

New York City mayoral candidates Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa butted heads with Democratic front-runner Zohran Mamdani over the city’s Gifted and Talented education plans during their second and final general election debate at 30 Rockefeller Plaza on Thursday, Oct. 16. 

Mamdani confirmed that he would phase out the Gifted and Talented Program (G&T) for kindergartners, as he has already announced. “I do not believe kindergartners should be subjected to a singular assessment,” he said during the second and final mayoral general election debate. He also repeated his call to end mayoral control of the school system.

The city’s G&T program began in the 1970s to provide advanced learning opportunities for eligible elementary students. This program was phased out for incoming kindergartners by former Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2021, but was later reinstated by his successor, Mayor Eric Adams, in 2022.

The program has faced a mix of opinions and backlash for its low rate of including Black, Hispanic, and other students in the program. 

Black or Latino students make up 70% of the NYC public school system, and are far less likely to be enrolled in gifted and talented programs than their White or Asian peers, who make up 75% of these programs.

Sliwa, the Republican nominee, and former Governor Cuomo, who is running as an independent, both agreed during the debate that the G&T program should be expanded rather than phased out.

Sliwa said the program doesn’t have enough slots. It currently has 1,900; he wants at least 5,000. Sliwa also emphasized that the tests need to be more available for Black and Hispanic communities.

Brooklyn College student Khalia John, who watched the debate, said she agrees with Mamdani on the G&T program ending for kindergartners but warned it won’t be enough to guarantee greater opportunities for Black and Latino children. 

“To be successful in that approach depends on broader changes such as ensuring all schools have equal access to resources, various methods to identify giftedness later on, and supporting all students in those early grades,” said John. “Without addressing these factors they’ll reach the same results, it’ll just show up later down the line.”

Lindsey Gordon, a nine-year NYC teacher and parent, believes the mayoral candidates oversimplify complex education issues like the G&T program. But she can agree on both sides of the G&T program argument based on reading news coverage articles of the debate and her knowledge of these types of programs.

Gordon said that she agrees with Mamdani that all students deserve a high-quality education. She stressed that large classes with students of varying abilities and behavioral issues make it challenging to meet “all” diverse needs. So she advocates for support programs. “I support pull-out or push-in programs that provide targeted support or enrichment to better meet students’ diverse needs,” said Gordon.

Gordon added that she has had concerns that changes to G&T and enrichment programs could affect other students currently in these programs, like her 8-year-old. “If enrichment programs were phased out or scaled back, I think my child might lose some of that excitement and motivation that comes from being challenged and engaged,” said Gordon.

Mayoral control allows the Mayor to have significant authority over the NYC public schools, including the appointment of the school chancellor.

“I’ve been critical of mayoral control because of the ways in which it’s been used to take away the voice of parents, of educators, of students,” said Mamdani during the debate. 

By contrast, Cuomo wants to maintain mayoral control and emphasized its importance. “We’d go back to the old system that had local school boards which were corrupt, patronage mills, etc.,” Cuomo said.

Gordon believes her views align more with Mamdani’s: that parents and teachers are losing their voices. But she understands that the situation is not easy. “So while I understand the argument for consistency under mayoral control, I think it’s way more important to build a system that actually listens to the people in it,” said Gordon. “Education should be a shared effort between leadership, families, and teachers—not something dictated from the top down.”

New York District 9 Democratic Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke used her October 8 telephone town hall to blame President Donald Trump and the Republic Party for the impact of the government shutdown on Brooklyn residents.

“At the start of the shutdown Democratic leader and our fellow Brooklyn Senator Minority Leader Schumer and House Minority leader Jeffries went to the White House to negotiate a resolution to avoid the shutdown in good faith,” said Clarke. “But Donald Trump and Republicans have nothing but bad intentions.”

It’s was the seventh day of the government shutdown and residents who attended the telephone town hall had the opportunity to share their questions and concerns.

Clarke collaborated on the Q&A with panelists from the New York City Health Department and the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.

Brooklyn seniors expressed concerns about the stability of their pensions and Social Security benefits during the shutdown. “The issue is that these are central services to our communities and it is my understanding that Social Security benefit payments are not affected by annual appropriations bills and payments as expected,” said Clarke.

Camille Hastick, the Vice President of External Affairs and Government Relations at the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, was asked about the potential fallout for small businesses if the enhanced premium tax credit expires at the end of 2025. Hastick stated, “Tax credit system will revert to the pre-enhancement ACA standard, which means stricter income limit, less general subsidies and more out of pocket cost for many individuals.”

Health care was another big topic for Brooklyn local residents. New York State of Health Deputy Director Sonia Sekhar answered questions about the shutdown’s effect on health care. Under the republican plan current tax credit will expire and health care premiums will go up,” she said.

Following up on healthcare, the CEO of One Brooklyn Health Sandra Scott, spoke on potential changes with Medicaid. "Individuals should understand the eligibility that impacts them, but most importantly to know about our wellness and stay healthy to avoid the emergency room,” Scott said.

Many research programs addressing health imbalances at SUNY Downstate have been affected over the past nine months, said SUNY Downstate Health Science University President Dr. Wayne J. Riley “Downstate has received significant impact in terms of loss or suspension of federal research grants that are focused on addressing health disparities and health equities in central Brooklyn and in New York City. Because of the current administration’s posture, any research grant that has anything to do with DEI they
suspend and agree to not fund those grants.”

Clarke closed off thanking everyone for attending the call and stating, “The Trump administration allies and congress are not here to play by the rule of law, or abide by the Constitution, they are not here to ensure that your voice in democracy continues to be heard, they want silence.”

On September 29, climate activists rallied at New York City Hall to call for the passage of Intro 1180, which would close a loophole in New York City’s landmark emissions law. 

In 2019, New York City enacted Local Law 97, placing limits on carbon emissions for large buildings. The law was described as the most ambitious building emission legislation passed by any city in the world. But a loophole created by Mayor Eric Adams allows building owners to circumvent lowering pollution levels through the purchase of Renewable Energy Credits (RECs), a certificate representing one megawatt hour of green energy going to the electricity grid. 

The law, signed by Mayor Bill de Blasio as part of his “Green New Deal,” targets NYC’s approximately 50,000 buildings over 25,000 square feet, which are New York City’s top source of pollution. The compliance period began in January 2024, with the pollution limit tightening every five years thereafter until the zero-emission target is reached in 2050. Critics warn that as long as the loophole is in place, this target may not be reached. 

“Corrupt Mayor Adams, at the behest of the real estate lobby, administratively gutted the law, allowing polluting landlords to purchase compliance instead of actually eliminating pollution.” Ken Schles, a Volunteer Leader at Food and Water Watch, a nonprofit focusing on food and water justice, said during the rally. “It’s past time to make a stand against the multi-headed crisis of corrupted democracy.” 

During the rule-making period, Mayor Adams ignored advice from the law’s advisory council that he put a tight cap on the amount of emissions that could be offset through RECs. Instead, the loophole allows building owners to offset about 50% of the pollution they would have to clean up to comply with the 2030 emissions cap. 

Since being sworn in in 2022, Mayor Adams has faced repeated scandals, most notably his indictment on federal corruption charges in September 2024. The charges were later dismissed, and despite his low approval ratings, he ran for reelection. The day before the rally, Adams announced he was abandoning his reelection campaign, citing low polling numbers and the Campaign Finance Board’s withholding of millions of dollars of matching funds. 

According to a Memorandum in support of Intro 1180, the impact of the loophole could have major effects on New Yorkers – including the loss of tens of thousands of jobs, millions of tons of increased pollution, and increased utility bills.  

Another speaker at the rally was Damien Andrade, Campus Project Coordinator at the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG), a nonprofit research and public education organization. Andrade warned of the impact the uncapped pollution offsets could have, saying “This is an environmental issue, a public health issue, and it’s an economic issue. When wealthy building owners are free to write blank checks on air pollution, it’s the lower-income New Yorkers, particularly communities of color, that are paying that price.” 

Building owners have voiced concerns over the financial impact of retrofitting buildings to be in compliance with the narrower 2030 emissions limit, with a group of Queens property owners unsuccessfully suing the city in an attempt to overturn Local Law 97. Since only large buildings are subject to the law, we “know they have the money,” said Andrade. For every metric ton of emission above the limit, building owners are fined $268 annually.  

Intro 1180 was introduced to the City Council in February of 2025. As of October, it remains in Committee. According to Eric Weltman, Senior Organizer at Food and Water Watch, the group strives to pass the bill by the end of the year, but will continue its efforts if not successful.

Activists and elected officials rallied at City Hall to urge Governor Kathy Hochul to sign the ban on the 100-foot rule for new natural gas pipeline connections. Lisa Marshall, Organizing Director for New Yorkers for Clean Power, introduced “We know the utilities are not going to stop this practice that is so good for their corporate profits until lawmakers and the governor act to change the law.” said Marshall.

The 100-foot rule bill was originally part of the much larger New York Heat Act, which the legislature did not pass. The legislature did approve the ban on the 100-foot rule, which requires gas utilities to connect new construction with existing pipelines with ratepayers footing the bill. But the governor has yet to sign the bill. If the new bill is signed into effect the cost of new gas pipelines will be solely on the owner of said property.

Various climate advocacy groups participated, including the Association for Energy Affordability, Food and Water Watch, Sane Energy Project, 350Brooklyn and Climate Families.

“One in four New York households already cannot afford to pay their energy bills, but that isn’t stopping Con Ed and National Grid and other utilities from raising rates so they can continue to build new gas pipelines, dirty gas pipelines, and we are paying the bill,” said Marshall. 

Senator Liz Kreuger, who sponsored the bill in the state Senate, pointed out that other states are not stalling on the push for green energy. She mentioned Texas’ recent investments on renewables. “Texas is moving to sustainable energy, [they’ve] sped up the amount of solar energy and battery storage and wind. Even in the last year under their favorite president, Donald Trump, they’re not stepping back. They’re not stepping away. They’re moving forward, because they understand with the impact of climate change, their future is in green energy, they’re doing it. We better well damn do it, too.”

Assemblywoman Joanne Simon spoke about the misconception that rising rates are due to investment in renewable energy. “You keep hearing that my rates are going up because of green energy. They are not going up because of green energy. They are going up because of fossil fuels.” said Assemblywoman Simon. “The cost of putting in those pipelines and repairing those pipelines are very expensive.”

New Yorkers for Clean Power hope that Governor Hochul will sign the bill before Climate Week ends on September 28th. However, activists are scheduling further events to pressure the governor, including an electric candlelight vigil outside the War Room in Albany on December 11th.

The Atlantic Council hosted its annual Global Citizen Awards on Wednesday evening, honoring international leaders for their contributions to global cooperation. Argentine President Javier Milei and French President Emmanuel Macron were among the honorees. They addressed geopolitical and domestic challenges during the event, which was streamed live. 

The Atlantic Council was founded in 1961 to strengthen cooperation between North America and Europe, now focused on global security, diplomacy, climate, economics, and technology. It is known for annually hosting Global Citizen Awards and Distinguished Leadership Awards. Global Citizen Awards are often presented during United Nations General Assembly week in New York. While there is no open public nomination process or exact criteria; honorees are chosen internally by the Council’s leadership and advisors. All we know is that nominees are typically recognized for their significant impact on diplomacy, peace, or innovation and technology. This year two presidents were recognized. 

Both France and Argentina are experiencing political, economic, and social unrest. In France, a Paris court sentenced former President Nicolas Sarkozy to five years in prison for criminal conspiracy; at the same time, major French unions called for more protests to oppose the government’s austerity measures and budget cuts. Similar unrest happened on the other continent. According to the Associated Press, in Argentina Javier Milei’s popularity fell. His party suffered a significant defeat in the Buenos Aires provincial election. On top of that, economically, the peso is weakening. These and other pressures have been affecting the national atmosphere and mood in both countries. 

But Atlantic Council Chairman John F.W. Rogers explained,  the point of the evening was to recognize and honor three global leaders “who have taken up the call to serve a purpose greater than oneself.” 

Milei accepted his award with a speech centered on Argentina’s economic crisis and his administration’s sweeping reforms. He described taking office in December 2023 as inheriting a nation in “critical condition,” on the brink of collapse from decades of mismanagement, hyperinflation, and debts. “From the very first moment it was clear to us that we needed to take drastic measures to avoid falling over the cliff,” Milei said.

Argentina has achieved a fiscal surplus for the first time in 123 years without defaulting on its debt, making it one of only five countries worldwide to do so. His government has lifted currency controls and begun the slow process of normalizing the economy. “We know this has been a difficult time for the Argentine people,” Milei said, “Like in every process to clean up public accounts, we have to take measures that may seem unpleasant, but which are fundamental to put the country back on the path of growth.”

Ahead of Argentina’s legislative elections, Milei warned that former regime allies are trying to derail his agenda and praised Donald Trump as a great inspiration. “We will not stop fighting for the ideas of freedom with unwavering conviction and the goal of making Argentina great again,” said Milei, concluding his speech.

While Milei’s speech focused on a single nation’s struggle for renewal, Macron’s message turned outward, offering a sweeping call for global unity at a moment of overlapping crises. Speaking without a prepared script, he reflected on what it means to be a “global citizen.” 

“You can love your country and love to cooperate with others,” he said, distinguishing patriotism from nationalism.

He urged his audience to recommit to the post–World War II principles of peace, prosperity, and democracy, warning that all three are under threat. He condemned Russia’s war in Ukraine, calling it a threat to international law. “Our duty as free nations is clearly to back the Ukrainians. Not just to resist but to recover their territory and their integrity,” he said. Then, turning to the Middle East, he expressed the need for consistency in defending human rights, calling for the release of hostages taken during the October 7 Hamas attacks, an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and a two-state solution. “No double standard,” Macron said, noting that the U.N. backed this principle nearly eight decades ago. “What is at stake is human life.”

On prosperity, he warned that global economic cooperation is vital to address debt, inequality, and climate change. “There is no planet B,” he said. “We need more growth, more innovation, and fixing climate change through decarbonization of our economies.”

Macron continued with a warning about threats to democracy, one of which is unregulated social media.“Our democracies were not conceived with social media, and we were definitely too naive,” he said. “It was made on purpose to create excitement, engagement and guess what, money. I don’t want my democracy to be driven by an algorithm whose unique purpose is to create this excitement and to spread crazy contents because it’s just killing the possibility of a common discussion.” 

Macron ended his speech by mentioning the importance of unity between Europe and the United States, he said, “We have to work together” to protect peace, prosperity, and democracy.

   While New York City is in the midst of a mayoral election, Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado is already campaigning for next year’s Democratic nomination for governor. 

On September, 17th, Delgado made his way to Coney Island for a meet and greet at Surf City Pizzeria. His team invited everyone to enjoy free food and grab pamphlets.

Delgado, who is  challenging the current governor, Kathy Hochul, who picked him as her running mate in 2022, leaned on income disparity as a key talking point. “The third largest economy of any state in this country is New York. And if we were an independent nation, we’d be the ninth largest economy in the world. Now here’s my question to everybody. Does anybody feel all that money?” The audience shouted back “No”. Delgado continued to detail the many housing and economic struggles in which the citizens have been facing over the years.

The Lieutenant Governor promised he would be a man of his actions, not afraid to speak out. “Here’s what I can also say that maybe will help you understand my mentality,” he said. He came to the conclusion that President Joseph Biden could not defeat Donald Trump in  the 2024 presidential election. “The entire Democratic party, the leadership, the machinery, a lot of them kept their head in the sand,” Delgado said. “They were scared to say something that would put them out of step with the leadership of the party.” But, Delgado said, “I said that he should step down publicly. My wife, before I said that, pulled me aside and she said ‘Are you prepared to be out of politics? Because if you say this you’re going to upset a lot of people.’ And I said yes.”

Then Delgado shifted his attention to Mayor Eric Adams. “When Mayor Adams became compromised, as you may recall, a  lot of folks out here said ‘sit down, resign.’  Not a lot of elected officials, Democrats said, ‘sit down, resign.’ You know why? Because they’re protecting themselves and they’re protecting the party. You know who did say, ‘step down?’ Me.”

  “Why do we accept this?” asked Delgado, as an anonymous speaker spoke out to give an impromptu answer. “We don’t accept it. We just don’t know how to fight it.”

  Delgado promised he would restore glory and integrity to New York State. “New York is a special place, but we’re not leading right now,” he said. “No one’s looking to New York right now. In fact, we’re kind of a laughing stock, to be honest with you. Our leaders are falling over themselves, trying to figure out how to negotiate with Trump.” 

Delgado continued, “But what are we fighting for? Now you can’t just be fighting against, what are we fighting for? I’m fighting for us. I’m fighting for a future, I’m fighting to show that people can actually believe in Democracy again.” 

Lawrence Stewart, a Coney Island native, challenged the Lieutenant Governor to show that he knew something about the neighborhood. “I care about Brooklyn and I live in Brooklyn but I’m particularly passionate about Coney island because that’s who I am,,” Steward said. When he was a boy people sometimes laughed at him when he said where he was from because they didn’t think people lived in Coney Island. “They didn’t know that there was people, families, that lived in Coney Island. So my question is, what do you know about Coney Island?”

Delgado responded, “My connection is always rooted in relationships and people. People are how I get to know a place and get invested in a community.” He conceded, “I’m not going to sit here and pretend to be able to name every street, know all the history. But what I can tell you is I know Coney Island is healthy,” he said, and in partnership with the community he will be able to figure out how to invest in it, “be it in housing, be it education, be it workforce development. That’s what I know.”

On Saturday, August 30th, 2025, an organizer named Brandon Straka put together a “#WalkAway Campaign” event at Washington Square Park. The event featured a rally that opposed Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani. It included a panel that aimed to recruit the audience to join their campaign, fronted by a professed mayoral candidate, Joseph Hernandez.

The “WalkAway Campaign” began as a social media initiative that encourages individuals who identify as Democratic or Liberal to reconsider their political affiliation and walk away from the party. The campaign pledges to give its audience truthful information and restore their vision of ‘American values.’ It gained a significant following with the initial video quickly reaching nearly one million views.

Straka, the founder of the campaign, is an aspiring actor and hairstylist from New York City who participated in the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. 

Joseph Hernandez, who the campaign’s mayoral candidate, called for increasing housing availability, protecting the subways and their safety, and providing more ways to protect the citizens of NYC by increasing police presence.

Hernandez criticized his opponents, charging that their perspectives about reality are “false,” and he is  more focused on “facts.”

Several signs held by participants expressed disapproval of communism and criticized the mayoral candidate, Zohran Mamdani. “Socialism=Slavery” and “Defund the Police? Ok-Next Time you need help. Call a Crackhead” were among those shown during the event.

Straka says he intends to engage with local residents to understand their perspectives and values, to persuade them to support his campaign. His central point is that socialism fails in general and is unsuccessful, and he vows to protect everyone from its potential negative impacts. 

Chivar, who gave only his first name, said he has lived in NYC for many years, and voted for Curtis Sliwa, whom he has known since he was very young. 

“Socialism doesn’t work in New York City, and a person like Zohran, he can’t run NYC; he isn’t even from New York City. He doesn’t have the experience; he’s from another generation. He’s trying to introduce ideas to New Yorkers who have been living there for aeons,” Chivar said.

The event featured speakers who criticized socialism and emphasized that “the spirit of New York would not die.” They claim that New York City is a city of capitalism, and the concept of  ‘free’ is an illusion within the statement. 

In nearby areas of the park, there were groups supporting Curtis Sliwa, and individuals were seen advocating for ‘Zohran 2025’ as they moved through the event. Still others seemed unwilling to commit to Walk Away or any other candidate. 

Isaac, a “politically open-minded individual,” said, “There’s going to be people like this coming around still doing the same thing around election time. When election time I feel like I got no faith in none of this.”