NYC Health + Hospitals today announced the launch of free produce boxes to patients enrolled in its nationally recognized Lifestyle Medicine Program. Patients of the program will receive six free monthly deliveries of seasonal, fresh produce delivered to their home. Patients will work with dietitians to learn about incorporating fruits and vegetables into their diet across culinary…
New York is known for its unique natural landscapes. Many of them are ideal for hunting, which is one of the favorite pastimes of the state’s residents. To carry out this event, you need to choose high-quality optics at https://www.agmglobalvision.com/ and find the best weapon and a suitable car. The latter should be as comfortable,…
Looking to revamp your home? You’re not alone. Americans are spending more on home improvements. They’re expected to sink nearly half a billion dollars into projects covering everything from bathroom remodels to living room and guest bedroom upgrades. If you’re following a similar tack, though, don’t forget the dining room! After all, Ranker finds that…
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Corbin Hill Food Project (CH), a New York City-based nonprofit, and the Central Park Conservancy, the non-profit organization responsible for the daily care, and maintenance. Including, restoration of Central Park, have launched a Central Park farm stand at 110th Street and Malcolm X Boulevard. Running every Saturday through November, the stand will deliver to Harlem locally sourced,…
On August 27th, City Parks Foundation (CPF),the largest independent nonprofit to offer free youth programs in public parks in the five boroughs. The event will hold its 26th Annual Tennis Benefit on Tuesday, August 27, 2024 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The benefit is co-chaired by Billie Jean King and John McEnroe. This year, CPF will honor former…
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Caribbean leaders recently began two full days of meetings in tourism paradise, Grenada, whose two sister isles, Carriacou and Petite Martinique, were recently leveled by Hurricane Beryl. The meetings were convened amid cries that increasingly powerful Atlantic storms and climate change factors are forcing governments to redirect revenues toward rebuilding rather than developing economies.
Every speaker at Sunday’s opening ceremony referred to the plight of the region as a recurring victim of climate change, with host Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell expressing fears that storms and climate change factors are becoming more than an existential threat to the 15-nation bloc.
“If someone chooses to bomb your country, it’s existential but easy to stop. You negotiate, you call a truce. Explain to the citizens of Carriacou and Petite Martinique how we will stop these Category 4 and Category 5 hurricanes from hitting them. That is why Caricom must, shall, and will continue to advocate for climate justice. The stark reality that we may not have a country to pass on to future generations,” he said to applause from colleagues and invitees.
Regional member states have rallied to assist Grenada and its two sister isles to rebuild and recover from Beryl, with some sending cash donations, others sending soldiers to help rebuild schools and restore fallen power lines and personnel to help with security. The island was last badly hit by Hurricane Ivan in 2004, which had destroyed about 80% of the housing stock on mainland Grenada. The summit was initially scheduled to be held from July 4 but had to be pushed back because Beryl had made landfall with devastating effects. Beryl had also touched on St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia, the Cayman Islands, and Jamaica.
Mitchell, Guyanese President Irfaan Ali, and Secretary General Carla Barnett all talked about the effects of climatic change on the region, with the host noting that Caricom cannot flinch from its efforts “to advocate for climate justice.” He said that he had initially believed that the bloc was a functioning talk shop but is now well aware that this is not the case given the level of cooperation among member states and the intense level of assistance states are prepared to render to each other in the time of crises.
President Ali, who at this summit turned over the chairmanship to Mitchell, asked “Where are the voices of the private sector and all those who profess immense love for the region, in helping the leadership of the region to call upon the international community to support the redevelopment and to support the rebuilding of the economies that suffered even from this latest hurricane?
“We have to now fight to ensure we build systems that work for us are not systems that are imposed upon us. We have to build systems that work for our region. We have to trust in ourselves. We have to have faith in each other and we have to have hope about the future. We can define ourselves or continue to allow ourselves to be defined.” Other key issues on the agenda include a review of the situation in Haiti. Regional leaders had played a key role in helping the bloc’s most populous member state to form an interim government to replace the previously collapsed one. The island is represented by Edgard LeBlanc Fils.
Progress in the operations of the single trading market and the free movement of people in Caricom are also on the agenda. At the opening ceremony, Curacao was admitted as the sixth associate member alongside the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Turks and Caicos, and Anguilla. The Dominican Republic has also made a bid to become a full member, but it is unclear if its bid will be examined by the full conference this time.
The New York City Council voted to pass two bills last week that would streamline universal dress code policies in city schools in an effort to stave off discriminatory practices, as a response to students’ and advocates’ concern that some existing policies can unfairly target LGBTQ+ youth and students of color.
Speaker Adrienne Adams in a statement said inequities in the city’s dress code policies were brought to the council’s attention by youth advocates as part of the council’s Young Women’s Initiative 2.0. The initiative was first launched in 2015 by former Speaker Mark Viverito. “By requiring greater transparency and calling for inclusivity in the dress code, our legislation can help advance anti-discrimination protections that support all students,” said Adams in a statement.
Resolution 292 calls for the Department of Education (DOE) to create more inclusive dress code policies for diverse cultures, gender expressions, and body diversity.
“The next step will be to engage in meaningful dialogue with our youth and the [DOE] to fine-tune the specifics of the dress code policy,” said Councilmember Althea Stevens, who sponsored the resolution. “It is vital for young people to shape the changes they want to see in their schools. I am committed to ensuring our city takes strides toward inclusivity, allowing the space for students to express themselves through their clothing.”
Bill 118-A, sponsored by Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala, also requires the DOE to post dress code policies on its website, and aggregate data about each school’s violations and penalties by race and gender.
“Uneven dress code policies in New York City public schools have led to disproportionate discipline and consequences for students [who are] simply expressing themselves,” Ayala said in a statement. “Students and families should have the opportunity to easily access any school’s dress code policy in a central location on the Department of Education’s website and determine if their individual school’s policies are truly non-discriminatory and aligned with DOE guidelines. My hope is that this transparency will bring us toward consistent, inclusive, and fair policies across our school system that do not unjustly target our students.”
Some school leaders in the city are responding positively to the legislation because it aligns with their current rules.
“With the largest school system in the United States, having every school with their own dress code leads to unfairness across each school zone. This also leads to stronger safety measures in our schools to limit bullying, thefts, and other behaviors that may be tied to seeing what one student has on compared to another who may not have the access to wear whatever,” said Jermaine Wes, principal of Uncommon Bedstuy East Middle School and president of Brooklyn Young Dems. His school already implements a uniform policy, but he said he believes the legislation is a step forward for equity, social, and cultural fairness across all city schools.
“My current school is uniform-based—parents find it convenient for their scholars and it allows for parents to easily purchase items aligned to the dress code, ultimately leading to saving money. I believe a universal dress code leads to effective, focused learning,” he continued.
According to Janella T. Hinds, the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) vice president for academic high schools, said the legislation seems to focus more on the need for “open communication” about dress codes with families and students than the enforcement of new policies.
Hinds teaches social studies at the High School for Public Service: Heroes of Tomorrow in Brooklyn, where school uniforms are mandatory. Sometimes students do genuinely push back against uniforms, she said, because they don’t like things that limit their self expression.
“The way we deal with it is to have conversations about the reality that in some professions, uniforms are mandatory and uniforms do serve a purpose,” Hinds said. “Even with the diversity of options we have available, students sometimes push back. They want to show who they are and express themselves, and being put into a box can be frustrating.”
Hinds is concerned about discrimination toward queer and disabled students, and students of color when it comes to clothing and expression. However, it’s the existing race and gender disparities of dress code violations and subsequent harsh punishments that she is really worried about, especially since there’s a systemic issue with overtly policing, sexualizing, and criminalizing young Black girls in many schools nationwide.
“We want to make sure there is even enforcement,” said Hinds. “We want to make sure this doesn’t become another vehicle for particular groups of students to be treated unfairly [or] for confrontation between teachers and students.”
At present, city schools have individual freedom to enforce their own dress code policies. There are, however, DOE dress code guidelines: Students have the right to determine their own attire, except where the clothing is “dangerous,” “interferes with the teaching and learning process,” or “violates the anti-discrimination policy.” The guidelines state that dress codes can’t prohibit students from wearing natural hairstyles, typically affiliated with Black and Brown students; can’t prohibit religious head coverings or du rags; and can’t require gender-specific attire or ban “distracting” clothing usually associated with girls.
“Per NYC Public Schools’ Dress Code Guidelines, dress codes are decided at the individual school level and require that schools examine their reasoning and justification for their respective policies, and schools must consider evolving generational, cultural, social, and identity norms,” said DOE Press Secretary Nathaniel Steyer in a statement. “Also, dress codes must be gender-neutral and cannot prohibit certain types of clothing that are stereotypically associated with one gender, and they must be implemented equally and in a non-discriminatory manner.”Wes
New York City’s 2025 local elections are shaping up to be fiercely competitive, with candidates already vying for donations. Such is the case for Khari Edwards, a former Brooklyn borough president (BP) candidate, who is hoping to win his second attempt at getting elected.
“Looking at the borough presidency and why I ran in the first place, it’s really because our community, everywhere from Coney Island to Bushwick—they need someone who’s really going to listen to folks, pay attention to them, and kind of do the things that are needed,” said Edwards. “Current leadership, I don’t feel, really goes throughout the borough.”
Born and raised in Crown Heights, Edwards was the first vice president of color for external affairs at Brookdale Hospital in Brownsville from 2013 to 2020. After losing the election in 2021, Edwards shifted gears entirely career-wise: He found success as head of corporate and social rResponsibility at AYR Wellness Inc, a multi-state cannabis dispensary company.
“I do so much social justice and restorative justice work around cannabis,” said Edwards about his current job still being relevant to public service. “And when you come home and people are still calling you about emergency room waits, someone’s friend got shot and we’re doing another burial.”
Edwards understands that the city has struggled to establish a legal cannabis market, which has led to an underbelly of illegal smoke shops and public safety issues. He wants to improve the platform and the benefits of licensed dispensaries, especially for Black and Brown justice-impacted communities.
Edwards said he intends to highlight other issues during his campaign, such as the impact of climate change on homeowners and rezoning, creating “true affordable housing” metrics, addressing increasing property taxes and displacement rates in Black and Brown communities, analyzing housing production, potentially abolishing the tax lien sale, forging relationships with the borough’s diverse ethnic and religious communities, and highlighting Brooklyn arts and music fests.
“The key to being borough president—a Howard Goldman, Marty Markowitz, Eric Adams—[is that] you go across the borough, you’re not a district,” said Edwards. “You can’t take care of just one district; how many other folks are suffering?”
Edwards filed his first fundraising disclosure for 2025 with the New York City Campaign Finance Board (NYCCFB) on July 12. He has raised $68,150 in contributions from 306 individual donors and hopes to keep up the momentum into 2025, according to his campaign.
