New York
New York educators and students denounce Governor Cuomo’s push to reopen schools
By the World Socialist Web Site Educators Newsletter, 11 August 2020
Teachers and students spoke to the WSWS to express their opposition to New York state Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo’s plans to allow all schools to reopen in the coming weeks.
New York Governor Cuomo sanctions statewide reopening of schools
By Evan Blake, 8 August 2020
Cuomo’s mandate provides crucial political support for the Trump administration’s drive to reopen schools irrespective of the cost to human life.
New York University withholds completed dental degree, student facing deportation
By Sam Dalton, 8 August 2020
Despite their completion of coursework, an international student faces deportation because they are unable to pay exorbitant tuition costs and fees.
Health Commissioner forced out as New York City prepares to reopen schools amid national pandemic surge
By Josh Varlin, 7 August 2020
Dr. Oxiris Barbot’s ouster indicates a more open return to the herd immunity strategy that guided the city’s disastrous early response to the pandemic.
New York educators oppose city and state school reopening plans
By Sandy English, 5 August 2020
Teachers in New York are determined to prevent the unsafe reopening of schools by the Democratic mayor and governor.
New York City transit officials prepare to slash jobs and wages
By Daniel de Vries, 25 July 2020
Faced with a financial crisis that threatens its survival, the MTA is planning devastating cuts to jobs and service.
New York City releases dangerous school reopening plans
By Sandy English and Steve Light, 14 July 2020
The announcement last week by Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio that public schools would reopen on an alternating-day schedule has provoked concern and opposition among parents and educators.
Lenox Hill: Portrait of New York City hospital obscures more than it shows
By Clara Weiss, 11 July 2020
Netflix is currently streaming the mini-series documentary Lenox Hill, which focuses on four doctors at the hospital of the same name in New York’s Manhattan.
“A large-scale struggle and strong opposition is needed”
CUNY students and faculty call for resistance to layoffs and cuts
By Elliott Murtagh, 10 July 2020
The WSWS spoke to students and faculty at the City University of New York about recent austerity measures.
New York City EMS worker commits suicide
By Ali Elhassan, 8 July 2020
The warnings by mental health experts about the traumatic impact of the coronavirus pandemic on health care workers are now being tragically borne out.
New York City Democrats ensure budget protects NYPD and guts social services
By Sam Dalton, 8 July 2020
An examination of the budget makes clear that highly publicized $1 billion “cut” to the New York Police Department is a complete sham.
New York City transit worker suffers miscarriage on the job
By Sam Dalton, 1 July 2020
Transit workers are outraged at the Transit Authority and the union after a conductor who was six-months pregnant lost a baby when she was forced to return to track switching.
New York City police commissioner defends vehicular assault on protesters
By Erik Schreiber, 27 June 2020
Secure in the knowledge that city and state officials will support him, Commissioner Dermot Shea testified that officers who drove into a crowd of protesters last month did not violate department policy on the use of force.
New York City mayor de Blasio threatens 22,000 municipal worker layoffs
By Fred Mazelis, 26 June 2020
The city faces a June 30 deadline for a budget at a time when revenues show a $9 billion fall due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Veteran curator at New York’s Metropolitan Museum latest to come under racialist attack
Institution accused of “white supremacy and culture of systemic racism”
By David Walsh, 26 June 2020
The attack launched against Metropolitan Museum of Art curator Keith Christiansen for his remarks concerning the danger of valuable art works being destroyed in the course of upheavals is without any merit whatsoever.
New York Governor Cuomo reopens economy as COVID-19 infection rate rises across US
By Philip Guelpa, 22 June 2020
Governor Cuomo is implementing a reopening scheme that will reverse dramatic declines in COVID-19 infection and death rates effected by lockdown measures.
Further evidence of the criminality of the New York Democratic administration response to the COVID-19 pandemic
By Clara Weiss, 22 June 2020
A Wall Street Journal analysis of the response by New York state to the COVID-19 pandemic paints a horrifying picture of preventable mass death in New York City hospitals.
New signs of New York City police revolt, as Democratic mayor and governor announce “reforms”
By Fred Mazelis, 18 June 2020
The NYPD abruptly announced the withdrawal this week of police officers who had been assigned to the offices of the district attorneys in four New York boroughs.
A timeline of abuse by the New York Police Department
By Sam Dalton, 11 June 2020
A peaceful protester arrested in New York City tells the WSWS about her experience
Reopening of New York City threatens a new surge in transit worker deaths
By Sam Dalton and Daniel de Vries, 8 June 2020
Transit workers fear that 130 deaths in their ranks is just the beginning
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio defends police violence against protesters
By Sam Dalton, 2 June 2020
In a news conference Saturday night, de Blasio defended police who drove their cruisers into a crowd of peaceful protesters earlier that evening in Brooklyn.
New York governor exempts nursing home operators from criminal liability after taking millions from the industry
By Philip Guelpa, 29 May 2020
Governor Andrew Cuomo took millions in donations from hospital and nursing home executives and then protected them from responsibility for deadly criminal actions regarding COVID-19.
Nursing union NYSNA provides cover for Cuomo’s push to reopen the economy
By Ali Elhassan, 29 May 2020
The New York State Nurses Association is promoting the illusion that the political establishment responsible for jeopardizing the health of the population and frontline health care workers can be pressured into adopting socially responsible policies.
City University of New York to lay off thousands of adjunct faculty amid financial crisis
By Elliott Murtagh, 29 May 2020
The City University of New York system is beginning to implement sweeping budget cuts triggered by New York state’s estimated $13.3 billion loss in tax revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
NY Governor Cuomo shields nursing homes from prosecutions related to 5,600 COVID-19 deaths
By Erik Schreiber, 22 May 2020
The Democratic governor simultaneously praised his administration’s response to the pandemic and asserted that “nobody” should be held accountable for the tremendous number of needless deaths.
New York Democratic governor enlists tech billionaires to push distance learning
By Sandy English, 18 May 2020
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced “Reimagine Education,” a partnership with Microsoft’s Bill Gates and Google’s Eric Schmidt.
New York state to begin reopening in certain regions this weekend
By Josh Varlin, 13 May 2020
Three regions within New York state are set to resume some economic activity May 15, under a plan that leaves significant room for a deadly second wave of the pandemic.
New York police brutality continues unabated in midst of pandemic
By Sam Dalton, 13 May 2020
Sections of the Democratic Party and the media in New York City are attempting to portray brutal attacks by the NYPD on workers and youth exclusively in racial terms.
New York City education department, backed by teachers union, downplayed virus threat
By Sandy English, 13 May 2020
An exposé in the journal the City demonstrates that New York City officials systematically downplayed the threat of the coronavirus to New York City students and educators
14,000 New York City school bus workers face furlough as city imposes cuts
By Philip Guelpa, 12 May 2020
With New York schools closed through the end of the semester, school bus workers are being furloughed without pay or medical insurance as the city begins slashing its education budget.
“The company is not disclosing any information about sickness and deaths”
UPS workers in New York and New Jersey speak out on the COVID-19 pandemic
By our reporters, 7 May 2020
UPS drivers and sorters are working without proper PPE and health benefits, while management and the Teamsters union are concealing information about the spread of the virus, which has killed at least two workers.
Dozens of decaying corpses found piled in unrefrigerated trucks at New York City funeral home
By Philip Guelpa, 1 May 2020
More than 18,000 New York City residents have so far died from COVID-19, and the city’s ability to deal with the bodies is at the breaking point.
New York state cancels Democratic presidential primary
By Shuvu Batta, 30 April 2020
The action is an effort to block the election of a sizeable delegation pledged to Bernie Sanders.
Two New York City health care workers commit suicide within 48 hours
By Clara Weiss, 28 April 2020
The two suicides bring the number of health care workers who have died because of the pandemic in New York state alone to at least 55.
New York state’s economy spirals into the abyss under the effects of COVID-19
By Philip Guelpa, 28 April 2020
A new study projects that the economic impact to New York state of the pandemic will reach $243 billion and it will take three years until a “full recovery.”
New York City transit workers must form rank-and-file committees to save their lives!
By Daniel de Vries, 24 April 2020
As officials move towards reopening the economy, four New York City transit workers a day are dying.
College students in New York City speak on the impact of the pandemic
By Elliott Murtagh, 22 April 2020
The closure of college campuses around the country last month due to social distancing protocols upended students’ lives, including those of international students.
New York City mayor declares “wartime” budget
By Philip Guelpa, 22 April 2020
Cuts to New York City’s municipal budget due to the COVID-19 pandemic will have a devastating economic impact on the city’s working class.
COVID-19 in New York City claims the lives of at least 27 homeless people
By Harry Matthews, 21 April 2020
Access to hygiene supplies and adequate space to isolate is hard to come by within the city’s shelter system, which is a patchwork of 450 different shelters with varying policies and resources.
New York City mayor announces $827 million in cuts to public education
By Sandy English, 20 April 2020
New York’s Democratic mayor Bill de Blasio announced deep cuts to education last week, with predictions of more to come.
As transit worker deaths continue rising, MTA promises families $500,000 in blood money
By Sam Dalton, 17 April 2020
On Tuesday, the MTA’s official COVID-19 death toll stood at 59. At least 2,269 transit workers have tested positive for the virus.
As educators die from COVID19
New York City makes first wave of massive budget cuts to public education
By Sandy English, 14 April 2020
New York City Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio announced last week that he will cut hundreds of millions of dollars from the city’s education budget as well as funding for other critical programs.
New York City digging mass graves for coronavirus victims
By Josh Varlin, 11 April 2020
Victims of the pandemic are being buried en masse on Hart Island off the coast of the Bronx, just 16 miles from Wall Street, the center of world finance.
The COVID-19 crisis in New York City
Interview with Bronx emergency room nurse: “Some critical patients are not getting the medication and IV pumps they need"
By Clara Weiss, 11 April 2020
Hospitals throughout New York City, the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, are running out of medication and equipment.
Testimony from US and Canadian inmates exposes deadly conditions inside prisons
By Sam Dalton, 11 April 2020
Many harrowing accounts have emerged in the form of videos and written testimony from prisoners outlining the conditions they face in the last two weeks.
The COVID-19 crisis in New York City: Why Elmhurst has become a center of the crisis
By Ali Elhassan and Clara Weiss, 10 April 2020
Elmhurst is the most heavily immigrant working class district in New York City.
New York records worst death toll in pandemic, as 731 die in one day
By Josh Varlin, 8 April 2020
The official figures must be considered substantial underestimates, since there has been a reported surge in people dying in their homes, rather than in hospital.
As pandemic rages in New York, new budget allows for massive cuts in social programs
By Philip Guelpa, 8 April 2020
The newly enacted New York state budget, regardless of its nominal contents, will inevitably lead to major attacks on the working class.
At least 33 New York City transit workers dead as contagion spreads on buses and trains
By Daniel de Vries, 7 April 2020
Transit workers’ lives are being sacrificed while city and state officials refuse to provide workers and commuters protective gear or an alternative to packed buses and trains.
Bronx hospital physician provides harrowing account of conditions on front lines of pandemic
By Benjamin Mateus, 6 April 2020
Miguel, a third-year resident in internal medicine at a community hospital in the Bronx, spoke to the WSWS on the experiences of health care workers and patients.
Ten New York City transit workers die of COVID-19
By Sam Dalton, 2 April 2020
More New York City transit workers are sick and dying as work continues without protective equipment.
Cuomo presses forward with Medicaid cuts as New York City health care system overwhelmed by pandemic
By Josh Varlin, 2 April 2020
Even though New York City’s hospitals and medical workers are overwhelmed by the pandemic, Governor Andrew Cuomo is pushing forward with planned cuts to Medicaid.
Without work and regular paycheck millions of Americans at risk of eviction as rent comes due
By Jacob Crosse, 2 April 2020
In New York City, the epicenter of the coronavirus epidemic, up to 40 percent of tenants are expected forgo rent payments this month.
Amazon fires New York worker for leading strike demanding safe working conditions
By Shuvu Batta, 31 March 2020
Nationwide, at least ten Amazon facilities have confirmed cases. The strikers said that Amazon was deliberately hiding the real number of those infected.
“We should be the ones deciding how this could be run to be safe for us”
Amazon warehouse workers describe unsafe conditions and discuss forming workplace committees
By Douglas Lyons and Samuel Davidson, 31 March 2020
Workers at the JFK8 warehouse in Staten Island, New York walked out Monday to protest the prevailing conditions.
“A lot of people don't get a ventilator when they come to a hospital now, no matter how young they are”
New York City paramedic speaks out about dire conditions amid the COVID-19 pandemic
By Clara Weiss, 31 March 2020
New York is now the center of the pandemic. As of Monday night, 1,342 people have died and 67,325 have tested positive. Over 36,000 of the infected are in New York City.
New York City nurses protest over PPE, staff shortages as number of cases, deaths continue to climb
By Ali Elhassan and Clara Weiss, 30 March 2020
As the crisis intensifies in New York, front line health care workers are regularly being forced to work with inadequate personal protective equipment, causing them to become ill themselves in ever increasing numbers.
Coronavirus death toll extends to New York transit workers
By Daniel de Vries, 28 March 2020
The two deaths Thursday are the direct result of the criminally negligent response by the MTA in collaboration with the union.
“There’s such a cruelty about the situation”: New York City hospitals overwhelmed by coronavirus surge
By Clara Weiss, 27 March 2020
New York hospitals confront skyrocketing numbers of patients, a rising death toll, medical staff falling ill and critical shortages of Personal Protective Equipment and ventilators.
COVID-19 begins to rip through homeless population as 30 test positive in New York City shelters
By Sam Dalton and Clara Weiss, 25 March 2020
The homeless are at heightened risk of infection and death from the coronavirus.
Coronavirus crisis in New York: As doctors warn of “our Chernobyl,” state government plans Medicaid cuts
By Clara Weiss and Ali Elhassan, 23 March 2020
Governor Andrew Cuomo, who has been calling for the deployment of the military, warned on Sunday that between 40 and 80 percent of the population of New York state (roughly 19.5 million people) would be infected.
Columbia University graduate workers overwhelmingly authorize strike
By Josh Varlin, 23 March 2020
Columbia graduate workers voted by 96 percent to authorize a possible strike in early April.
John Eliot Gardiner leads all nine Beethoven symphonies at Carnegie Hall, and speaks about their significance
The great composer’s music has “to do with social equality, revolution and counterrevolution”
By Fred Mazelis, 23 March 2020
An opportunity, just before the coronavirus forced the closing of concert halls, to hear the works of the master played on period instruments.
Nearly two dozen New York City transit workers test positive for COVID-19
By Sam Dalton, 21 March 2020
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has responded by continuing to ignore basic health precautions, risking the lives of workers, their families and the general public.
New York City now the epicenter of coronavirus pandemic in the US
By Josh Varlin, 20 March 2020
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is considering a “shelter in place” order in response to the skyrocketing COVID-19 case numbers.
New York City finally closes public schools during coronavirus pandemic
By Sam Dalton, 16 March 2020
Public schools in the largest school district in the United States remained opened until this week, despite objections from parents, students and educators.
New York City declares state of emergency amid coronavirus pandemic
By Josh Varlin, 13 March 2020
New York City and New York state have announced new measures to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, of which there are now 328 cases statewide.
No to right-wing “anti-Semitism” lawsuit against New York University!
the IYSSE at New York University, 12 March 2020
The state-led campaign against BDS and the lawsuit at NYU are an assault on democratic rights having nothing to do with the fight against anti-Semitism.
National Guard deployed to New York City suburb as coronavirus outbreak intensifies
By Josh Varlin, 11 March 2020
New York now has the largest number of cases in the United States, and cases are multiplying in New York City itself.
New York cops caught on video assaulting unarmed man
By Shuvu Batta, 10 March 2020
Yet another display of NYPD gangsterism sparks outrage.
Coronavirus outbreak takes hold in New York
By Josh Varlin, 5 March 2020
There are now 11 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in New York state, which is likely a significant underestimation given indications of community spread.
Museum of Chinese in America’s unique collection devastated by fire
By Sam Dalton, 2 March 2020
In the face of protests at New York City’s inaction, the recovery of thousands of artifacts damaged by fire at a storage facility belonging to MOCA will now be sped up.
Real estate broker fees remain in place in New York City after judge issues restraining order
By Erik Schreiber and Fred Mazelis, 24 February 2020
The latest maneuvers over supposed pro-tenant reforms reveal the impossibility of winning decent affordable housing through support for the big business Democratic Party.
Courage Foundation holds public meeting in New York City in defense of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange
By Fred Mazelis, 18 February 2020
The extradition hearing for Assange is scheduled to begin in London on February 24.
YIVO Institute for Jewish research in New York fires all its librarians
By Clara Weiss, 17 February 2020
Many of the YIVO library’s 400,000 books, newspapers and documents have been rescued from Nazi barbarism, and are indispensable for the study of European Jewish history before the Second World War, the Holocaust and the pre-war revolutionary movement of the Eastern European working class.
Bloomberg’s billions and the politics of oligarchy
By Patrick Martin, 17 February 2020
The rallying of officeholders and media pundits to the billionaire candidate exposes the real class character of the Democratic Party.
Alleged WikiLeaks whistleblower Joshua Schulte on trial in New York
By Oscar Grenfell, 15 February 2020
The court hearings, over the Vault 7 leaks exposing mass CIA spying and hacking operations, have been subjected to a near total media blackout.
Black Democrats endorse Bloomberg after release of racist boasts on “stop-and-frisk”
By Niles Niemuth, 14 February 2020
The immediate response of elected African-American Democrats to the exposure of the billionaire Bloomberg’s racist remarks was to boost him as the only candidate who can defeat President Donald Trump in November.
New York City police in open revolt against Mayor de Blasio
By Philip Guelpa, 13 February 2020
Two shooting incidents by a single individual against New York officers have been used as a pretext to conduct a vicious, right-wing campaign against democratic rights.
Record number of homeless deaths in New York City last year
By Sam Dalton, 24 January 2020
A new report reveals a rapid rise in the number of homeless deaths in the largest and wealthiest city in America.
Drastic cuts to Rochester, New York schools
By Steve Filips, 20 January 2020
Ninety-five teachers have been laid off and 150 displaced in the Rochester City School District, due to massive over-spending, provoking immense anger among students, parents and staff.
Mass abstention as union pushes through New York City transit contract
By Alan Whyte, 16 January 2020
The vast majority of New York City transit workers boycotted a vote on a concessions contact backed by the Transport Workers Union.
New York City judge orders 13-year-old held awaiting trial for murder of Barnard College student
By Owen Mullan, 9 January 2020
Tessa Majors was stabbed and killed during an apparent robbery in Morningside Park in Harlem in early December.
Hasidic Jews injured in machete attack in Rockland County, New York
By Philip Guelpa, 30 December 2019
The attack Saturday was the latest in a growing number of hate crimes occurring within a climate of racial tension encouraged by both Trump and the Democrats.
As the Transport Workers Union attempts to push through major concessions
New York City transit workers speak out about workplace dangers and attacks on health care
By Daniel de Vries, 30 December 2019
While the TWU has tried to hide the extent of the concessions, the reality is that the agreement contains $44 million in health care and other givebacks.
Vote “No” on the TWU sellout contract!
Form rank-and-file committees to defend New York City transit workers!
By WSWS Transit Worker Newsletter, 18 December 2019
To defend jobs and living standards, transit workers must build new organizations of struggle to oppose the gang-up of the MTA, the Cuomo administration and the TWU.
“The union bosses tell us they are fighting for us while they sell us out”
New York City transit workers denounce union-backed tentative agreement
By Alan Whyte, 12 December 2019
The newly published Memorandum of Agreement between the TWU and the MTA seeks to incorporate the union into management, increase the transit agency’s exploitation of workers and financially reward the union bureaucracy.
New York University charges food-insecure students for "free" meals
By Sam Dalton, 11 December 2019
Last semester 1,933 students, nearly 10 percent of the school’s undergraduates, utilized the Courtesy Meals Program.
New York transit union offers massive concessions to block strike
By Alan Whyte and Daniel de Vries, 9 December 2019
The tentative agreement agreed by the union seeks to stifle any movement by New York’s subway and bus workers against the demands of the Democratic Party for major cuts.
Job actions by New York City transit workers
By Alan Whyte, 27 November 2019
The union organized the slowdown because it fears it will be unable to impose the demands of the Democratic Party-run transit agency without provoking a rebellion by workers.
Three homeless men die in abandoned house fire in New York City
By Philip Guelpa, 26 November 2019
As the city’s homelessness crisis continues to worsen, increasing numbers face life-threatening risks.
Trump threatens “substantial” increase in anti-China tariffs
By Nick Beams, 13 November 2019
In a speech to the New York Economic Club, Trump claimed, amid falling GDP numbers, that his administration had “launched an economic boom the likes of which we have never seen before.”
“Teachers, autoworkers, everybody in this country, should go on strike”
New York City bus and subway workers speak out against concession demands
By a WSWS reporting team, 6 November 2019
The Metropolitan Transit Authority wants to introduce part-timers, outsource work to cheap-labor contractors and reduce overtime pay as it funnels more money to the Wall Street banks and wealthy bondholders.
Hundreds protest police violence in Brooklyn, New York subway
By Josh Varlin, 4 November 2019
Recent incidents of police violence in the subway system, connected to the crackdown on “fare evasion,” have fueled growing anger among workers in New York City.
New York City police kill five in less than a month
By Fred Mazelis, 30 October 2019
Behind the killings is the undoubted rise in social tension, the product of unprecedented inequality, along with decaying conditions affecting the working-class.
New York City transit workers and the fight for social equality
By Allen Whyte and Daniel de Vries, 30 October 2019
Working without a contract since May, transit workers are facing unprecedented attacks on working conditions being demanded by Wall Street.
New York University’s new mental health initiative cheats students in need of counseling
By Sam Dalton, 29 October 2019
NYU has launched a wellness program that is inadequate for the mental health needs of its students.
Workers and students speak at Sanders rally in New York
By our reporters, 22 October 2019
The WSWS discussed issues of war, healthcare and the role of the Democratic Party in capturing and destroying social movements against capitalism.
Four homeless men murdered in New York City’s Chinatown
By Owen Mullan and Sandy English, 14 October 2019
The tragic incident, involving six of the poorest people in the United States, is a product of the city’s social decay, the most unequal large American city.
New York City transit authority adds 500 police officers
By Philip Guelpa, 11 October 2019
Amidst crumbling infrastructure, deteriorating service, and repeated fare increases, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is hiring 500 new police officers to patrol the New York City transit system.
Follow the WSWS