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Amid Scrutiny of Jails and Jailers, NYC’s Private Prison Escapes Attention
By Harry DiPrinzio
It looks like the warehouse it once was. But the Queens Detention Facility, operated by the second largest private prison company in the world, currently houses approximately 210 detainees.
What Role do Middle Schools Play in Deciding Who Gets Into NYC’s Elite High Schools?
By Gail Robinson
It is clear that most students get on – or off – the track to go to a specialized high school long before they sit down to take the SHSAT in September of 8th grade. See how the middle schools rank.
The Jail Next Door: A Look at the 14 Correctional Facilities in New York’s Neighborhoods
By Harry DiPrinzio
Closing Rikers will mean new or bigger jails in at least four neighborhoods. New York City already has 14 correctional Institutions besides those on the notorious Island. Most are barely noticed.
City Residents Riding Commuter Rail Pay More Per Mile than Suburbanites
By Jeanmarie Evelly
This existing fare structure leaves many New York City residents who live in areas served by LIRR and Metro North lines unlikely to use the systems.
What Happened When Seattle Tried to Tax Amazon
By Sadef Ali Kully
Earlier this year, Seattle’s nine-member City Council voted unanimously to tax Amazon to help fund a response to the city’s housing crisis. Then, it voted 7-2 to repeal it. What changed so many minds?
Coming to Grips With the Two-Decade Deluge of LLC Money into New York’s Democracy
By Jarrett Murphy
Given that the governor has taken on the National Rifle Association, passed same-sex marriage, forced New York City to fund more transit repair work and accomplished other heavy political lifts, it is notable how little success he has had closing a loophole that primarily benefits him.
De Blasio Emails Shed Light on how ‘Affordable Housing’ is Packaged for the Press
By Norman Oder
The emails show a developer scripting quotes from a grateful new tenant; a mayoral aide transforming a corporate press release into a governmental statement; and a lack of support from affordable housing advocates who once strongly backed a Brooklyn megaproject.
Ambitious Brooklyn School Desegregation Plan Stirs Excitement, Faces Hurdles
By Abigail Savitch-Lew
Brooklyn’s District 15 is trying to chart a new path toward equity with an ambitious plan to end admissions screens for middle schools. The reaction to the plan highlights the complexities of choice and process the rest of the city might someday face.
Despite NYC’s Vision Zero Progress, Most Hit-and-Run Drivers Avoid Arrest
By Gaspard Le Dem
The NYPD has bulked up the unit that investigates serious collisions. But as hit-and-run incidents have increased in number, arrests have barely kept pace. Read our print and video investigation.
City’s Milk Buying Could Help Farmers in Crisis and Workers in Need
By David Brand
Farmworkers n New York State encounter dangers and mistreatment on the job. Upstate dairy farmers face unprecedented pressures, with some turning to suicide. And New York City buys a lot of milk.
They Say Legal Guardians Ripped Them Off—and the State AG Let Them Down
By Alisa Partlan
Alleged victims of guardianship abuse and trust fraud have come forward to say that Eric Schneiderman’s office refused to investigate their complaints.
NYPD’s Neighborhood Policing Meetings Aren’t Reaching Intended Audience
By Roshan Abraham and Angely Mercado
The NYPD is reaching out to activists and young people to attend the Build the Block meetings meant to inform the Neighborhood Policing program. But that’s not the crowd who’s showing up.
Older New Yorkers Have Huge and Growing Need for English Classes
By Dorian Block
The city is aging, and its older population includes many thousands of people who have never learned English, posing a large challenge to society that current resources are ill-equipped to solve.
Hijacked Buildings and ‘Shock and Awe’ Tactics in Johannesburg’s Low-Income Black Neighborhoods
By Daylin Paul
After apartheid, many Blacks left South Africa’s townships in a search for a better life in the big city. Now they see government, landlords and private-security firms banding together to drive them out.
Chronic Teacher Absenteeism Hits Some NYC Schools, Districts Hard
By Patrick Donachie
There’s disagreement on how to measure chronic teacher absenteeism, and the causes of it are more complicated than you might assume. But there’s no denying big disparities in absentee rates—even among schools in the same district.
