Latest news with #Queens-based
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ocasio-Cortez endorses Zohran Mamdani for NYC mayor as campaign enters final stretch
NEW YORK — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez is endorsing Zohran Mamdani as her top pick for New York City mayor, giving the socialist upstart candidate a major boost as the 2025 race for City Hall kicks into high gear. Ocasio-Cortez, who has since being elected to Congress in 2018 become one of the Democratic Party's most prominent progressive leaders, said in an interview published Thursday she's backing Mamdani because of the grassroots support he has generated in pushing a policy platform centered around affordability. 'Assemblymember Mamdani has demonstrated a real ability on the ground to put together a coalition of working-class New Yorkers that is strongest to lead the pack,' Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., told The New York Times. 'In the final stretch of the race, we need to get very real about that.' Ocasio-Cortez's campaign didn't immediately return requests for comment. The Ocasio-Cortez endorsement was highly coveted in the June 24 mayoral primary, as she's considered the city's chief left-wing leader and regularly ranks as the Democratic Party's most popular member. Her stature as a national figure has only increased since President Donald Trump returned to the White House, as she and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders have embarked on a nationwide tour of anti-Trump rallies that each tend to draw thousands of attendees. Like Ocasio-Cortez, Mamdani, a Queens Assembly member, is affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America. They're also both millennials — Ocasio-Cortez is 35 and Mamdani is 33 — and their western Queens-based districts overlap. 'In Washington, the Congresswoman has been a tireless advocate for working people as she has led the fight against Donald Trump. That's exactly the kind of leadership we will deliver to New York,' Mamdani said in a statement accepting her endorsement. It wasn't immediately clear if Ocasio-Cortez plans to join Mamdani on the campaign trail or appear in ads with him. As first reported by the Daily News last month, Ocasio-Cortez met privately in recent weeks with Mamdani and City Comptroller Brad Lander, another mayoral candidate, to discuss endorsements. Her pick of Mamdani marks a disappointment for Lander, a longtime ally who was endorsed by Ocasio-Cortez for his 2021 comptroller run. Given that the June 24 primary is ranked choice, Ocasio-Cortez said she's urging New Yorkers to back a slate of candidates on their ballots. But she put Lander third on that slate, giving the No. 2 spot to Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. She also put ex-Comptroller Scott Stringer in the No. 4 slot and Brooklyn state Sen. Zellnor Myrie in No. 5. Asked for comment, a spokeswoman for Lander, who has mostly polled as the No. 3 candidate in the race, pointed to a tweet he put out saying he's 'proud' to have her support. The Mamdani nod from Ocasio-Cortez comes as he has emerged as the progressive standard-bearer in the Democratic mayoral primary, pushing a platform that includes promises to freeze the rent for the city's stabilized tenants, drastically expand fully subsidized child care and make public buses free. He has consistently polled as the No. 2 candidate in the race behind front-runner Andrew Cuomo, a centrist Democrat. Some recent polls are indicating Cuomo's lead over Mamdani is narrowing, and Ocasio-Cortez said in the interview she hopes her endorsement will help beat back Cuomo, blasting him as a career politician who 'belongs to the hedge funds,' a reference to his wealthy donor base. At the same time, Mamdani has faced scrutiny in some corners of the city's electorate over his lack of executive experience (his only elected job is serving in the State Assembly since 2021) as well as his outspoken criticism of Israel's war in Gaza. Ocasio-Cortez acknowledged Mamdani's youth and hard-left stances on certain issues could pose an obstacle in seeking support from some communities, saying 'trust can't be built quickly.' But she also said she 'made my expectations of the assemblymember quite clear' in conversations with him before the endorsement. 'As someone who got elected when I was 28 years old, I know very intimately what it means to be trusted with an enormous job of immense responsibility at a very young age,' she said. 'It is not something that I take lightly.' _____
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
New York Mayor elections: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorses Zohran Mamdani
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorses Zohran Mamdani In a notable political development, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York City provided her support to Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani's mayoral campaign on Thursday. This endorsement represents a significant effort to unite progressive voters against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo's potential return. "Assembly Member Mamdani has demonstrated a real ability on the ground to put together a coalition of working-class New Yorkers that is strongest to lead the pack," Ocasio-Cortez said. "In the final stretch of the race, we need to get very real about that." With the June 24 Democratic primary approaching, Cuomo maintains his lead in polls, reminiscent of 2021's scenario when progressive disunity led to a moderate victory. Ocasio-Cortez, 35, selected Mamdani, 33, who shares similar characteristics: a Queens-based leftist representative who has gained substantial grassroots support through innovative policy proposals and effective social media presence. Mamdani's proposals include free city buses, rent stabilisation measures, and municipally operated grocery stores, funded through a £10 billion business and wealth tax. His stance on Israel has drawn attention from critics. Ocasio-Cortez emphasised the necessity of defeating Cuomo, whom she associates with wealthy interests. She announced her ranked-choice selections, placing Adrienne Adams second, Brad Lander third, followed by Scott Stringer and Zellnor Myrie. "Even if the entire left coalesced around any one candidate, an ideological coalition is still insufficient for us to win," Ocasio-Cortez said. "We have to have a true working-class coalition." While her endorsement carries weight among liberal groups, its impact remains uncertain. Mamdani has reached campaign fundraising limits and already secured substantial support from young, liberal voters. The Working Families Party's ranked choices largely align with Ocasio-Cortez's selections, suggesting some progressive unity. Upon receiving the endorsement after Wednesday's televised debate, Mamdani praised Ocasio-Cortez as a "once-in-a-generation leader." Ocasio-Cortez acknowledged challenges regarding Mamdani's experience and support among certain communities. Drawing from her own early political career, she expressed understanding of young leadership responsibilities while emphasising the need for appropriate expertise and support systems. Her endorsement decision may influence her political trajectory, as speculation continues about her potential presidential candidacy in 2028 or a possible Senate bid for Chuck Schumer's seat.
New York Post
24-05-2025
- New York Post
Teens attack 2 girls, shave one's head in Queens park assault: ‘Vile and inhumane'
A group of teens brutally beat two girls in a Queens park with a baseball bat — and even shaved the head of one of the victims in a horrific caught on video attack that a relative said was like an attempted 'execution,' The Post has learned. The 13- and 16-year-old friends were playing basketball in Flushing's Kissena Park around 6 p.m. on May 2 when a group of older kids approached and began an argument. At least four 17-year-olds and a 16-year-old dragged the girls to a wooded trail and ruthlessly whacked them with the bat, according to police and video clips of the incident posted to social media. Advertisement 4 Photos shared with World Journal showed one of the girls in the hospital with a patch of her head shaved. Family Handout One of the tormenters allegedly shaved part of the 16-year-old's head with a portable hair clipper, and the mob fled with her cell phone and the younger girl's $558 limited edition Air Jordan 4 White Oreos, leaving the victims bruised and swollen, police said. A brute in a black and red hooded sweatshirt could be seen whaling on the 13-year-old with the bat as she lay on the ground curled into a ball, according to disturbing video posted last week on Instagram by the advocacy group Asians With Attitudes (AWA). Advertisement He then ripped off her sneakers and pummeled her again. The assailant then sat the victim up, and appeared to take a piece of clothing off of her, according to the footage. The girl appeared limp by the end of the attack, the video showed. 4 The girls were left bruised and swollen and psychologically traumatized following the attack. Family Handout 'This was a planned, vicious and inhumane assault . This wasn't bullying, it was torture,' one community advocate said in a response video. Advertisement The victims knew their attackers, according to police, who did not reveal what the kids were beefing about. The victims were both Chinese and the attackers reportedly appeared to be Asian as well. The incident has not been deemed a hate crime, authorities said. One of the girls lost consciousness during the two-hour ordeal, World Journal, a Queens-based Chinese newspaper reported. 4 Videos shared to social media showed one of the attackers hitting a girl with a bat as other kids watched on. Instagram/asianswithattitudes Advertisement The family shared photos of the older girl on a hospital gurney with her back covered with massive bruises and a patch of hair missing from right above her forehead, World Journal reported. 'The whole process was like an execution,' an unnamed relative told the outlet, adding that the victim struggled to even speak after the attack. Police are treating the incident as a robbery, since the group made off with the younger girl's sneakers and the other victim's phone — but the victims' families have called for further investigation. 4 The girl appeared limp by the end of the brutal beating, according to the shocking video. Instagram/asianswithattitudes So far, the NYPD has arrested three 17-year-old males, a 17-year-old female and a 16-year-old boy on a slew of charges including felony robbery, assault, gang assault, strangulation, harassment, weapons possession and grand larceny. Four of the alleged attackers were arrested a week after the incident and a fifth was arrested on Monday. The Kissena Park beatdown comes less than a year after the terrifying rape of a teen girl in the same green space. A 25-year-old migrant attacked that victim, 13, typing up her and a male friend at knifepoint in a wooded area of the park. Christian Inga was indicted in September for kidnapping, robbery, sexual assault and rape in the incident, according to officials.
Time Out
12-05-2025
- Time Out
Uber is making it a lot cheaper to get to JFK from Manhattan
NYC-area airports have been having a rough time as of late—don't even get us started on the Newark drama lately —but at least it looks like it will be a lot cheaper to get to John F. Kennedy International Airport going forward, thanks to Uber. As you may remember, the ride-hailing company first launched its shared airport shuttle service back in October 2024, giving New Yorkers a more seamless—and, at just $18 per ride, inexpensive—way to travel between Manhattan (with stops at Grand Central, Port Authority and Penn Station) or Downtown Brooklyn (City Point Mall, Atlantic Terminal) and LaGuardia Airport in Queens. And now that service is graciously being expanded to that other Queens-based airport: Travelers can take advantage of $25 flat-rate shared shuttle rides from various pick-up locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn to John F. Kennedy International Airport with the JFK Airport Uber Shuttle. As of press time, the shuttle is operating to and from Terminals 4 and 5 at JFK, which service airlines such as Delta, Virgin Atlantic, JetBlue, Aeroméxico, China Airlines, Air Europea and KLM, among other. As with the LGA option, you can reserve your JFK-bound seat using your Uber app and choose from pick-up spots like Grand Central Terminal and Port Authority in midtown Manhattan, Chinatown (the corner of Canal Street and Lafayette Street, to be exact) in downtown Manhattan and Atlantic Terminal in downtown Brooklyn. Upon entering the shuttle, passengers will need to validate their reservation with the driver via a QR code and unique PIN. Travelers can book up to four seats on Uber shuttle (up to seven days ahead of their departure date) right on the Uber app; and as with the airplane they will eventually be boarding, each rider is permitted to bring one personal item (which must fit on their lap or under their seat) and one piece of luggage (carry-on or checked bag) weighing up to 50 pounds (22.5 kilograms) aboard the shuttle. Happy travels!
Time Out
09-05-2025
- Time Out
The A train to resume in the Rockaways in time for beach season—here's when you can ride
It's nearly here, so close we can almost feel the sand beneath our toes: beach season. We just have to get through a few more pesky (and, annoyingly, rain-filled) weeks and then we'll be back at Rockaway Beach, shoveling fish tacos and piña coladas down our throats in between dips in the Atlantic. Glorious. And speaking of gloriousness, it will soon be much easier to get down to the Rockaways than it has been all year, what with the return of A train service to the area on Monday, May 19. As you may remember, this January kicked off a four-month pause on A train service across a five-mile stretch connecting Howard Beach-JFK Airport, Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue and the Rockaway Park-Beach 116th Street stations, which are the last stops on the A line. There was simultaneously a suspension on Rockaway Park Shuttle trains to and from Broad Channel—meaning that accessing the Rockaway peninsula at any point this year required a bit more planning than a mere MetroCard swipe. (Thank the transit gods for the NY Ferry, amirite?) The service stoppage was part of a 17-week rehabilitation project to repair extensive damage suffered during Superstorm Sandy back in 2012, especially at Hammels Wye Viaduct and South Channel Bridge, which carry trains across Broad Channel. The work also included the installation of new flood barriers and pumps, critical additions that would provide extra security against a natural disaster like Sandy, as reported by Gothamist. During the closure, the MTA provided discounted Long Island Rail Road fares, extended express bus routes and continued NYC Ferry service to support impacted commuters, which was estimated at 9,000 riders per day. Restoring subway access to the Queens-based beach community couldn't have come at a better time, what with New York City public beaches set to open for swimming and sunbathing on Saturday, May 24. In the meantime, you can keep up to date on the here.
