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vrijdag 23 februari 2024
WORLD WORLDWIDE USA New York NY New York City NYC the city THE CITY News Journal Update - Cannabis fines, empty NYCHA units, pandemic workers stiffed
Dear New Yorkers,
The state has levied more than $25 million in fines against unlicensed smoke shops for selling cannabis products since last year, THE CITY has learned.
But so far, only a minuscule percent of those fines have been collected by both the state Tax Department and the Office of Cannabis Management.
The two agencies were granted greater authority to enforce last year, and began joint raids against unlicensed smoke shops last summer. They levy and collect fines separately, however. The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) said it has collected $22,500 in fines, while the Department of Taxation and Finance has collected $0 in fines so far.
But while OCM has withdrawn many cases, some shops and their operators have separately received letters separately from the tax department warning them of fines more than $150,000, according to notices obtained by THE CITY.
Read more about the fines, and enforcement of NYC’s unlicensed cannabis stores, here.
Thursday's Weather Rating: 4/10. A nice start, with partly cloudy skies and relatively warm temperatures in the mid-40s. Clouds move in this afternoon though, and scattered showers are expected to develop and continue into tonight. The vibes are trending a bit more unsettled...
Our Other Top Stories
While more than 240,000 applicants languish on the New York City Housing Authority waiting list, a new report has found that the city’s public housing agency has slightly under 5,000 units sitting empty (as of January). One main culprit, according to a federal monitor, was actually a special team that NYCHA’s central office created to speed up the turnover of vacated apartments. But the team actually had the opposite effect, slowing down the process and causing apartments to sit empty for months at a time.
In the latest episode of FAQ NYC, hosts Chrissy and Katie discuss the $364 million that a judge ordered former President Trump to pay to New York in a fraud case, his brand-new sneakers and the FBI's investigation into top FDNY officials. Plus, there’s a Vital City interview between physician and epidemiologist Jay Varma and sociologist Erik Klinenberg, the author of the newly published book “2020: One City, Seven People, and the Year Everything Changed.”
Reporter’s Notebook
Council to Also Sue Adams Administration
The City Council filed a motion Wednesday to join a lawsuit against Mayor Eric Adams and city agencies for failing to implement new laws expanding housing vouchers.
The legal action, if approved by a judge, would add the Council to a suit filed last week by Legal Aid on behalf of four tenants who would qualify for a CityFHEPs voucher under the new rules passed by the Council last year. The mayor vetoed the bills, and the Council then overrode his veto. But the city’s social services commissioner later told the Council they can’t implement the laws.
The Council’s filing argues there is separation of power within city government and that the mayor is mandated to implement laws passed by them.
"The administration’s failure to implement these laws has harmful consequences for New Yorkers who lack access to housing security and need more support,” Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala said in a statement.
— Katie Honan
Chemical Spray Use Surges in City Jails
The use of chemical sprays to break up jailhouse fights or force detainees to follow orders has surged since 2018, according to a new report by the Board of Correction — and the incarcerated people being sprayed in the face are disproportionately suffering from mental illness and between 18 and 21.
The report from the board that oversees city jails found that the rate of painful blasts of the chemical agent oleoresin, known as OC, was 109% higher over the first 10 months of 2023 than during the same period in 2018.
“The Department’s failure to prevent this dangerous practice contributes substantially to the violence in jails,” said Board Commissioner Dr. Robert Cohen. “It must end.”
The board’s report analyzed 50 OC incidents last October and discovered that 48% of them involved people with a history of being housed in specialized mental health units. In all of those cases, the spray was used without any prior “mental health intervention” to calm the situation, the review found.
— Reuven Blau
Things To Do
Here’s what’s going on around the city this week.
Thursday, Feb. 22: The Orchid Show: Florals in Fashion, an ongoing show that celebrates colorful blooms and fashion. Free with admission at the New York Botanical Garden through April 21.
Saturday, Feb. 24: Introduction to Birdwatching Outings, a birding walk hosted by the Prospect Park Alliance and the Brooklyn Bird Club. Free from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., starting at the Prospect Park Audubon Center.
Tuesday, Feb. 27: Hazard NYC: A Talk on NYC’s Toxic Sites in the Age of Climate Change, a discussion about NYC’s toxic Superfund sites — and how climate change is complicating the cleanup process — hosted by THE CITY’s climate change reporter, Samantha Maldonado, and independent journalist Jordan Gass-Pooré. Free with RSVP from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., at Brooklyn Public Library’s Central Library.
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