About a hundred New Yorkers marched from East Harlem to Trump Tower on Sunday to protest the ongoing plight of Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria. Puerto Rican flags waved in the wind, but cheers were few and far between. The organizers of the march wanted it to be silent, because they said they are tired of shouting for the Trump Administration to do more for the island.  Have a listen to my audio story:  

https://www.wnyc.org/widgets/ondemand_player/wnyc/#file=/audio/json/813519/&share=1

It’s one of Harlem’s oldest live Jazz bars. Paris Blues opened in 1969 and is still thriving at its original location on 121th street and Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. Owner Samuel Hargress Junior has been there ever since. This is one of the last old school spots to get a drink and casually listen to live music without a cover which makes Paris Blues one of the last hidden treasures to be found uptown. Paris Blues is still owned and managed by eighty one year old Samuel Hargress, and for many businesses in Harlem that is rare to see one that has not been affected by gentrification.

City Park Officials have approved plans to bring the first statue of woman into Central Park. In fact, the plan is for two statues together at 77th and Central Park West… of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, two pioneers in the fight for women’s rights.  Darnell Jefferson checks in on the project, and what people think about it.  

The statue is expected to be unveiled on another auspicious date in 2020, the 100th anniversary of the day women won the right to vote on a national level.

One week to the day after reporters and editors at the news outlets DNAinfo and Gothamist voted to join a union, their owner shut them down. The site was launched in 2009 by TD Ameritrade co-founder Joe Ricketts, DNAinfo was known for its on-the-ground neighborhood coverage in the 5 boroughs.

A statement from Joe read , “it was a difficult decision to discontinue publishing DNAinfo and Gothamist” “He says reaching this decision wasn’t easy, and it wasn’t one made lightly.” The announcement caught employees at both media outlets by surprise.  DNA was the best site for New York City neighborhood news coverage. WNYC’s News Director Jim  Schachter says “this now leaves a void left in the local news news ecosystem, which has drastically changed in the digital age”.

Prospect Park will be permanently car-free in January. The car-free change is scheduled to take effect Jan. 2, 2018.  It comes following the park’s first full car-free summer. During that time, the city studied effects of possibly making it permanent.

After more than two decades, Metrocards will be a blast from the past and is getting ready to swipe left on MetroCards.  For more than 20 years, the MTA has used the MetroCard but has decided it may be time for an upgrade. The MTA approved more than $500 million to bring in the next fare-payment system beginning late 2018. By 2020, all subways and buses will adopt the more modern payment system. Officials say the plan is to fully retire the MetroCard by 2023. Until then, riders will still be able to use it.

I blogged about this young man a few years ago when he appeared in an interview for a local tv station but who would have thought he would be so successful today. Fifteen year old Moziah Bridges has entered a sponsorship deal with the NBA, giving his company, Mo’s Bows, the right to use NBA logos on their custom-designed bow ties.  Moziah and his mom sat down with CBS David Begnaud to see how his fashion sense led to big bucks.

Since 1990, Maurice “Mo” Robinson has been feeding people on Lenox Avenue between 117th and 118th streets. He’s known for his cheeseburgers and hamburgers but he also sells hotdogs and sausages. Between April and Halloween, Mo grills burgers and hot dogs seven days a week between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Every day at lunch time, a line of people queue up at Mo’s cart for burgers and hot dogs — most of them lured by the smell of freshly grilled patties.

You’ll no longer have to spend your “whole” paycheck at Whole Foods. The organic grocery store wasted no time slashing prices, and it’s all thanks to Amazon. According to Bloomberg, prices lowered immediately.

Shoppers across the country are reporting seeing immediate cuts to produce, bread and meats. Amazon Prime members will soon see some in store benefits, including special savings and Amazon lockers where you can pick up items ordered online.

The Voice was first launched in 1955 and became a free publication in 1996 in an effort to boost circulation. Moving forward, the Village Voice will end it’s free weekly print edition and deliver its iconic, progressive message through its digital platforms, including their new website which launched in May. The announcement is part of an ongoing effort by owner Peter Barbey, who purchased the Village Voice in October of 2015, to revitalize and reimagine its brand.