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Politics
Here Are The Lineups For First Two Democratic Presidential Debates Here Are The Lineups For First Two Democratic Presidential Debates
Here Are The Lineups For First Two Democratic Presidential Debates The Democratic National Committee announced the names of presidential candidates who qualified for the first debates of the 2020 campaign, cutting the record wide field of 23 contenders down to the 20 spots. Candidates making the final cut on Thursday registered at least 1 percent support in three national polls, received campaign money from 65,000 donors, or both. The list appears at the end of this article.  Debates will be spread over two nights in Miami later this month -- with 10 candidates appearing each night.  Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren will share the stage with …

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by Jon Craig
Politics
New National Poll: Here's Who Voters Favor In 2020 Election Between Trump, Top Democrats New National Poll: Here's Who Voters Favor In 2020 Election Between Trump, Top Democrats
New National Poll: Here's Who Voters Favor In 2020 Election Between Trump, Top Democrats In a first look at head-to-head 2020 presidential matchups nationwide, six Democratic challengers lead President Donald Trump if the election was held today. Former Vice President Joseph Biden has been losing some support among Democrats, but still leads the Republican incumbent by 53 to 40 percent, according to a Quinnipiac University National Poll released on Tuesday, June 11. In other matchups, the Quinnipiac Poll found: Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders leading President Trump by 51 to 42 percent; California Sen. Kamala Harris ahead of Trump by 49 to 41 percent; Massachusetts Sen.…

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by Jon Craig
Politics
Will Gillibrand, de Blasio Qualify For First Presidential Debates? Politico Says Yes Will Gillibrand, de Blasio Qualify For First Presidential Debates? Politico Says Yes
Will Gillibrand, de Blasio Qualify For First Presidential Debates? Politico Says Yes The first televised presidential debates begin this month, airing on June 26-27 in Miami, followed by July 30-31 in Detroit. U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio hope to be among 20 Democratic candidates invited to the opening debates. The qualification deadline is Wednesday, June 12. An updated Politico analysis, released Thursday, June 6, predicts that both de Blasio and Gillibrand will qualify for the opening round of primary debates. According to the new analysis, de Blasio and Gillibrand have reached the threshold set by the Democratic National Committee…

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by Jon Craig
News
This Interactive Map Shows Where Rats Are In NYC With 38 Percent Population Increase In 5 Years This Interactive Map Shows Where Rats Are In NYC With 38 Percent Population Increase In 5 Years
This Interactive Map Shows Where Rats Are In NYC With 38 Percent Population Increase In 5 Years New York City residents have been forced to welcome some unwanted visitors in the neighborhood as the rat population continues to soar. Since 2014, rat sightings are up 38 percent, according to watchdog site OpenTheBooks.com. There were 12,617 sightings reported in 2014, a number which has jumped to 17,353 just four years later. In response to the growing population, Open the Books, a nonprofit organization, has created an interactive map to allow area residents to see each reported rat sighting in their current or prospective neighborhood. The map includes all sightings in 2018 and 2019. …

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by Zak Failla
Politics
Here's The Least-Liked 2020 Democratic Presidential Contender, New Poll Says Here's The Least-Liked 2020 Democratic Presidential Contender, New Poll Says
Here's The Least-Liked 2020 Democratic Presidential Contender, New Poll Says The world will be watching when Americans head to the polls for the 2020 election, but which Democratic candidates are the public’s favorite and least favorite to challenge President Donald Trump right now -- nearly a year-and-a-half away? A newly released Quinnipiac poll found that there are varying opinions when it comes to who the public wants to represent the blue states in the next presidential election. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio was viewed unfavorably by 45 percent of voters, leading the way, followed by U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke (32 percent unfavorable); Sen. Cory Booker (31 …

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by Zak Failla
Politics
New NY Attorney General Gaining Attention As Powerful New Trump Rival New NY Attorney General Gaining Attention As Powerful New Trump Rival
New NY Attorney General Gaining Attention As Powerful New Trump Rival New York Attorney General Letitia James has been turning as she continues to take the fight to President Donald Trump and his administration. Just months into her first term as Attorney General, James, a Democrat, has “emerged as one of the most aggressive and ambitious litigators in the country,” according to The Hill, citing several lawsuits she has filed against the commander-in-chief. Since taking office, James has launched investigations and probes into Purdue Pharma, the Sackler family, the NRA, and other special interests. She has also taken steps to ascertain Trump’s bank records an…

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by Zak Failla
Obituaries
FDNY Firefighter, Former Westchester Resident Killed In Afghanistan By Roadside Bomb FDNY Firefighter, Former Westchester Resident Killed In Afghanistan By Roadside Bomb
Fdny Firefighter, Former Westchester Resident Killed In Afghanistan By Roadside Bomb A U.S. Marine killed in Afghanistan by a roadside bomb on Monday, April 8 was a New York City firefighter and a former Westchester resident. Christopher A. Slutman, 43, of Ladder Company 27 in the South Bronx, a 15-year veteran of the department, died as a result of injuries sustained while on active duty in Afghanistan, said New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. Slutman, who lived in Yonkers with his wife and three children for years, most recently lived in Wilmington, Delaware, and commuted to New York to work, according to News 4. The well-liked firefighter was honored five years ago…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
New York City Declares Measles Public Health Emergency In Select ZIP Codes New York City Declares Measles Public Health Emergency In Select ZIP Codes
New York City Declares Measles Public Health Emergency In Select ZIP Codes New York Mayor Bill de Blasio declared a public health emergency Tuesday, April 9, in select zip codes in Williamsburg, following a measles outbreak affecting the Orthodox Jewish community.  As part of the declaration, unvaccinated individuals living in those ZIP codes who may have been exposed to measles will be required to receive the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine in order to protect others in the community and help curtail the ongoing outbreak, said the Mayor's office. Under the mandatory vaccinations, members of the City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene will check th…

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by Kathy Reakes
Business
Ocasio-Cortez Bears Most Blame For Loss Of Amazon HQ2, New Yorkers Say In New Poll Ocasio-Cortez Bears Most Blame For Loss Of Amazon HQ2, New Yorkers Say In New Poll
Ocasio-Cortez Bears Most Blame For Loss Of Amazon HQ2, New Yorkers Say In New Poll The majority of New Yorkers believe that losing the planned Amazon HQ2 headquarters in Queens is bad for the state and say Westchester high school graduate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is most to blame, according to a brand new Siena College poll. Last year, Amazon announced that it was planning to build two new Amazon HQ2 headquarters, one in Long Island City, and a second in northern Virginia, bringing more than 25,000 jobs to the region. Last month, the retail giant backed out of the deal, despite billions of dollars in state and local incentives. The newly released Siena Poll found that 67 …

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by Zak Failla
Politics
These Three 2020 Presidential Contenders Most Acceptable To NY Democrats, Poll Says These Three 2020 Presidential Contenders Most Acceptable To NY Democrats, Poll Says
These Three 2020 Presidential Contenders Most Acceptable To NY Democrats, Poll Says With more and more attention on the 2020 presidential race, three front runners have emerged for New York Democrats, according to a Marist College poll. Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren are the most acceptable candidates to New York Democrats, the poll found. When asked if they would be “happy” with each potential nominee, 78 percent said they would be with Biden; 61 percent for Sanders and 51 percent said that they would be happy with Warren. Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, Kirsten Gillibrand, Michael Bloomberg, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Beto O’Rourke and Amy Klobuchar were other no…

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by Zak Failla
Politics
10-Point Plan To 'Transform' MTA Unveiled By Cuomo, de Blasio 10-Point Plan To 'Transform' MTA Unveiled By Cuomo, de Blasio
10-Point Plan To 'Transform' MTA Unveiled By Cuomo, de Blasio Elected officials in New York have reached an agreement on a new plan to “transform” travel in the state. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio have introduced a 10-point proposal to transform the MTA and create “dedicated and sustained funding streams for the agency.” The plan includes “congestion” tolling and a reorganization of the MTA. The proposal would see tolls vary based on the time of day, with the prices being set next year and introduced in 2021. According to reports, the lawmakers have suggested that some of the resulting tax revenue from potentially …

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by Zak Failla
Politics
Ocasio-Cortez 'Thinks It’s A Good Idea To Lose Jobs, Revenue,' de Blasio Says After Amazon Exit Ocasio-Cortez 'Thinks It’s A Good Idea To Lose Jobs, Revenue,' de Blasio Says After Amazon Exit
Ocasio-Cortez 'Thinks It’s A Good Idea To Lose Jobs, Revenue,' de Blasio Says After Amazon Exit A day after Amazon announced it would be pulling out of a deal to set up a headquarters in New York amid pressure from politicians, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio went on the offensive, slamming those elected officials and the company. In November, the online retail giant announced that it has chosen two locations for its new HQ2 project, one in Long Island City, and a second in Virginia. However, they began getting cold feet last week and officially pulled out of the project on Thursday, Feb. 14, announcing that they will not be looking for a new city to set up shop. The Amazon announc…

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by Zak Failla