The Thorn

Local News

As concerns about the Delta variant increase, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a new vaccine mandate for all public hospital and city health care employees.
The U.S. Justice Department declined to conduct a civil investigation into Governor Andrew Cuomo’s mishandling of COVID-19 cases in nursing facilities.
New York state has sent out just $117,000 in coronavirus pandemic rent relief money. Until this week, New York was the only state that hadn’t distributed any money from the federally funded rent relief program passed in January. The state’s tenants can still apply for relief.
New York’s out-of-date flood maps haven’t been updated in fourteen years, leaving thousands of New Yorkers at risk without knowing that they require flood insurance, according to researchers at The New School.
Governor Cuomo’s pet $2.1 billion LaGuardia air train project has been approved by the federal government over objections from environmentalists and Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (NY-14, the Bronx and Queens). Construction could begin in a matter of weeks.
Initial data from a pilot program intended to route mental health–related 911 calls to mental-health professionals, rather than the New York Police Department, revealed that police officers still responded to the vast majority of calls.

Elevated turnout numbers, early survey data, and preliminary Board of Elections data suggest that New Yorkers were able to understand and use the new ranked-choice voting system.
New York State’s Independent Redistricting Commission is holding public hearings before they draw preliminary district maps for 2022 in September.