NYC Politics News

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NY Pension Funds Push Starbucks on Labor Oversight

New York City and state pension investors are seeking changes to Starbucks' board oversight of labor relations ahead of the company's 2027 annual shareholder meeting. New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, NYC Comptroller Mark Levine on behalf of four city pension funds, and a Trillium Asset Management fund filed a shareholder proposal asking Starbucks to restore its Environmental, Partner, and Community Impact Committee. The committee, established in 2023 and later dissolved, had responsibilities that included monitoring labor relations. The investors argue that dedicated independent oversight is needed as Starbucks continues to face unresolved collective bargaining and labor disputes. The filers collectively held 2.82 million Starbucks shares as of June 30, 2026.

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NYC Breaks Ground on 229 Affordable Senior Homes

New York City has broken ground on Sol on Park, a 229-apartment affordable senior housing development planned for the NYCHA Morris Houses campus in the Bronx. The development will reserve 80 apartments for current Morris I and II residents and 69 for formerly homeless seniors, while another 79 apartments will be offered to low- and middle-income seniors through the Housing Connect lottery. Sol on Park will also include health and wellness services, more than 8,000 square feet of community space, a pedestrian plaza and a new accessible space for the Morris Houses Resident Association. Construction is underway, with pre-leasing and initial move-ins expected to begin in early 2029.

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OFFICIAL STATEMENT: Nikki Lucas Announces Dem Chair Bid

Assemblywoman Nikki Lucas has issued the following statement announcing her candidacy to serve as the next Chair of the Kings County Democratic Party:

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Brooklyn Unveils Little Panama Way in Crown Heights

Brooklyn's Panamanian community has received permanent recognition in Crown Heights with the unveiling of Little Panama Way along Franklin Avenue. The ceremonial street co-naming honors generations of Panamanians who established families, businesses, institutions and cultural traditions in the neighborhood beginning decades ago. Panama 507 Roundtable Group organized the September 24 celebration with community organizations, elected officials and Panamanian dignitaries. The recognition comes as a related effort advances to establish a Little Panama Cultural District in the area, creating a framework for preserving Panamanian heritage while supporting cultural programming and economic activity. State legislation authorizing the cultural designation has passed both houses of the New York State Legislature

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NYC Opens New Job Center for City Careers and Hiring

New Yorkers looking for City government jobs will soon have a permanent location where they can get help navigating applications, civil service exams and the hiring process. The new Jobs NYC Center at 2 Lafayette Street in Manhattan will offer walk-in career assistance, hiring events, workshops and direct connections with City agencies seeking employees. Developed by the Department of Small Business Services and Department of Citywide Administrative Services, the center will also provide career-development resources for existing municipal employees. The location has already hosted hiring activity during a soft launch, including an August hiring hall that resulted in 17 new hires for the NYC Business Express Service Team. Regular walk-in hours at the center begin October 5.

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$143M Queens Senior Housing Opens With 173 Homes

A $143 million affordable and supportive housing development has been completed in Jamaica, Queens, adding 173 apartments for older New Yorkers along with an on-site health center. Sutphin Senior Housing and Clinic includes 121 apartments for residents age 62 and older earning up to 50 percent of Area Median Income and 52 supportive units for people age 55 and older who have experienced chronic homelessness. All apartments receive project-based Section 8 rental assistance. The 15-story development at 97-10 Sutphin Boulevard also includes a 15,000-square-foot Community Healthcare Network health center offering medical and psychiatric care to residents and the surrounding community. The all-electric building incorporates solar power and other energy-efficiency features.

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NYC Pension Funds Eye $5B in Climate Investments

New York City Comptroller Mark Levine is proposing a major expansion of private-market climate investments involving three of the city's public pension funds. Under the plan, the Comptroller's Bureau of Asset Management expects to present $5 billion in potential investments to the boards overseeing NYCERS, the Teachers' Retirement System and the Board of Education Retirement System. Opportunities would include renewable power, energy storage, grid modernization, clean transportation, energy efficiency and building upgrades. Individual investments would still require review and approval by the pension boards. The proposal is part of a broader strategy under which the three retirement systems have established a goal of investing $37.8 billion in climate-related solutions by 2035.

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East New York Concert Series Draws Over 10,000

More than 10,000 people attended the fourth annual East New York Concert and Wellness Series, according to organizers. The four-day community event took place September 17 through September 20 on Van Siclen Avenue. Presented by Assemblywoman Nikki Lucas and DJ Keith Watkins, the free series combined live performances with health screenings, wellness information and community resources.

The lineup included Doug E. Fresh, Nice & Smooth, Angela Winbush, Howard Hewett, Crystal Waters, Byron Stingily, Hildemaro, DJ Famoso, Bri Babineaux, The Walls Group and numerous DJs and other performers. Each day featured a different musical focus, ranging from Caribbean and Latin music to House, Hip-Hop, R&B, Gospel and Jazz, bringing residents together from across East New York and East Brooklyn.

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Bronx’s First Busway Opens on Tremont Avenue

The Bronx's first busway is now operating on Tremont Avenue, bringing bus-priority and street-safety improvements to a corridor used by 39,000 Bx36 riders each day. The route has historically experienced slow bus speeds and is designated a Vision Zero priority corridor, with four people killed and nearly 630 injured in crashes between 2020 and 2024. As part of the project, NYC DOT installed safety upgrades at eight intersections, including painted sidewalk extensions designed to shorten pedestrian crossings and slow turning vehicles. The busway operates from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week and is also expected to serve as the foundation for future bus rapid transit improvements along the broader Tremont Avenue corridor.