WORLD WORLDWIDE US USA - New York NY New York City NYC the city THE CITY - Queens mall raid, climate change Q&A, school lunch

 

Dear New Yorkers,

Last week, when the FBI raided two Bronx homes belonging to Winnie Greco, Mayor Eric Adams’ director of Asian affairs, agents also targeted a third site well known to food fans and residents of Queens: The New World Mall, at the bustling crossroads of Roosevelt Avenue and Main Street in Flushing.

The building houses a basement food court, a vast J-mart supermarket, and a grand banquet hall where Adams has been a frequent guest.

So why would the FBI be interested? We can’t know for sure. But possible clues abound.

Since last summer, THE CITY has been investigating campaign contributions and fundraising events for Adams’ 2021 run for mayor tied to the New World Mall. Greco, who is the subject of a city Department of Investigation probe following THE CITY’s reporting, has been a regular presence in the buildings, while Adams has made a steady string of campaign and other appearances there.

Read more about the New World Mall here. And if you need to catch up, read THE CITY’s complete guide to the investigations surrounding Adams here.

Weather scoop by New York Metro Weather Wednesday's Weather Rating: 1/10. Yikes, man. Cloudy early, followed by periods of heavy rain and localized flooding from late morning into the afternoon. Gusty winds at times, with high temps in the mid-50s. The vibes are simply bad.

Our Other Top Stories

Last week, as part of our Hazard NYC project about New York City’s toxic Superfund sites, THE CITY held an Open Newsroom event at the Brooklyn Public Library. THE CITY senior reporter Samantha Maldonado and independent journalist Jordan Gass-Pooré presented an overview of the project and offered a peek at their reporting process. Audience members — many of whom said they live, work and spend time near the Superfund sites — had the opportunity to share their experiences related to the sites and to ask questions. Here is a full event recap, including answers to those questions.  New York City slashed popular items like chicken tenders, dumplings, and cookies from school cafeteria menus in February as part of the mayor’s sweeping budget cuts. At a City Council budget hearing on Monday, the mayor’s budget director raised eyebrows by placing the blame for that squarely on the students, reports Chalkbeat. “You have a lot of kids hanging out in cafeterias now and eating more and more and more and more,” said Jacques Jiha, director of the Office of Management and Budget. “So therefore what they did was, they basically cut some of the items from the menu…because more kids are eating.”

Things To Do

Here’s what’s going on around the city this week.

Thursday, March 7: Celebration of Women — The Art of Adventure, a creative workshop that incorporates art and team-building. Free from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center in The Bronx. Saturday, March 9: Making Brooklyn Bloom 2024, a day of talks and workshops about pollinators to inspire urban gardeners at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Garden admission is free for attendees; reservations required. Saturday, March 9: A screening of the 1926 silent film “The Duchess of Buffalo,” starring Constance Talmadge, one of the most popular comedians of her day. Free at 2:30 p.m. at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Bruno Walter Auditorium.

THE KICKER: Mount Sinai Beth Israel hospital in Lower Manhattan will stop taking stroke and cardiac patients on March 10, reports Gothamist. Patients will be diverted to Bellevue Hospital instead.

Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Wednesday.

Love,

THE CITY

PS. Love THE CITY? Our nonprofit newsroom runs on support from readers like you. Donate here.

THE CITY's work is made possible, in part, through the support of our sponsors. Interested in becoming a sponsor of THE CITY? Contact us here.  Copyright © 2024 THE CITY, All rights reserved.