diversity & inclusion

Espaillat, Ocasio-Cortez Introduce Temporary Protected Status for Ecuador Act

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Bronx Congressional Reps. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), along with nine other original cosponsors, introduced the Temporary Protected Status for Ecuador Act (H.R. 7371) to the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday, Feb. 26. The bill, if passed, would grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to over 300,000 Ecuadorians in the U.S. who have fled the current mass outbreak of gang-related violence in Ecuador to seek safety for their families.

Health Care Expands March 5 to All Vets Exposed to Toxins during Military Service at Home or Abroad

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The U.S. Department of Veterans Services announced on Monday, Feb. 26, that all veterans who were exposed to toxins and other hazards while serving in the military, at home or abroad, will be eligible to enroll directly in VA health care beginning March 5. VA officials said this means all veterans who served in the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Global War on Terror, or any other combat zone after 9/11 will be eligible to enroll directly in VA health care without first applying for VA benefits.

Love in The Bronx

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Love is in the air and on Feb. 14, across the globe, millions celebrated Valentine’s Day. At one Norwood store, we were told flower sales were up by a whopping 70 percent. So, is it just another opportunity to make a quick buck or is there merit in reminding people of love? To find out, we are grateful to those Bronxites who were brave enough to talk to us about their own love stories.

Op-Ed: Preserving Woodlawn: A Stand Against Overdevelopment 

By WILLIAM MURRAY
On Monday, Feb. 12, the Woodlawn Heights Taxpayers and Community Association gathered at the Rambling House for a critical meeting. The focus of the discussion revolved around the alarming proposal by The City of Yes for Housing Opportunity initiative, developed by NYC Department of City Planning, which lays out potential changes throughout the city that will be significant and could have detrimental effects on the cherished neighborhood of Woodlawn.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebrated Across The Bronx

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson hosted a service honoring the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, Jan. 15, in partnership with News 12 The Bronx and Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church, located at 1488 Reverend Dr. Fletcher C. Crawford Way in the Charlotte Gardens section of the borough.

Creston Pharmacy Plays Santa in Bedford Park

By DAVID GREENE
The owners and staff of Creston Pharmacy in Bedford Park spent one of the days leading up to Christmas donating their time, wrapping hundreds of free gifts, and handing them out to the neighborhood’s children.