Dear New Yorkers, Mayor Eric Adams’ administration is actively touting the education provided by the city’s yeshivas — at the same time as it is waging a legal battle to keep its own evaluations of 26 of the Hasidic schools under wraps. At a fundraising dinner last week hosted by the yeshiva advocacy group The Orthodox Union, Adams told the audience “we need to be duplicating what you are achieving.” He went on to urge a close look at yeshiva education — not for some of their gaps in teaching, but as models for how to educate “65% of Black and Brown children [who] never reach proficiency in the public-school system.” It’s not the first time that Adams — who as Brooklyn Borough President enjoyed a close relationship with the Hasidic community — has sided with the yeshivas. Last year, after The New York Times published a series of stories that found significant failings at some of the most religious yeshivas, Adams said he was “not concerned” about the revelations. Just days after Adams’ speech, City Hall signaled that it would continue to fight THE CITY’s years-long battle to obtain assessments made by the Department of Education at 26 yeshivas that advocates have long alleged were failing to provide kids with a basic education. Read more here.
Some other items of note: Jordan Neely’s family says Daniel Penny, the 24-year-old who killed him two weeks ago on the F train, should have been charged with murder instead of manslaughter. On Friday, they called on Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to amp up the indictment. Local officials are taking a step toward helping children who have lost parents and guardians to COVID-19. Last week, in front of THE CITY’s MISSING THEM memorial in Queens, state Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz and state Senator Jamaal T. Bailey announced a bill to establish a New York COVID-19 children’s fund. Among other things, it included “baby bonds,” which would have the state invest $1,000 per year for eligible minors. Once a child turned 18, they could use the funds to pay for an education, buy a home or start a business. As THE CITY and its partners reported last year, one in every 200 children in New York City had lost a caregiver in the pandemic. But Cruz acknowledged the proposal could face challenges in Albany due to the ongoing budget deficit. Congestion pricing in the form of up to $23 tolls on cars in Manhattan below 60th Street is one step closer to becoming a reality. On Friday, the release of a key document began a 30-day clock for federal officials to make a final call on the tolling effort. Proponents say congestion pricing would curb emissions and raise billions to reinvest in public transit. Opponents — including cabbies and other for-hire drivers — don’t want to add more fees on top of the ones they’re already burdened with. If approved, the measure could be enacted as soon as next spring. It’s now officially paddling season. In case you missed it, last week’s Bronx River Flotilla fundraiser, a 5-mile trek hosted by the Bronx River Alliance, put a spotlight on the canoeing opportunities on the river — and on all the effort advocates have invested in conserving it. Karim Walker, an organizing and outreach specialist for the Safety Net Project at the Urban Justice Center, works mostly with New Yorkers living on the streets. On the latest episode of the FAQ NYC podcast, her discusses the way unhoused people and others who are experiencing mental health challenges are perceived by others. For the latest local numbers on COVID-19 hospitalizations, positivity rates and more, check our coronavirus tracker.
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