Queens News - Local News

  Julio Medina, the founder of Exodus Transitional Community, allegedly received millions in kickbacks and bribes for steering business to firms run by Weihong Hu, a fundraiser for mayors Adams and de Blasio.  This article originally appeared in The City. By  Greg B. Smith , and  Yoav Gonen NEW YORK - A taxpayer-funded program to house incarcerated people released from Rikers in hotels during the COVID-19 pandemic became an elaborate fraud conspiracy in which the founder and former CEO of Exodus Transitional Community, Julio Medina, pocketed millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks, Brooklyn federal prosecutors charged Thursday. Medina, Christopher Dantzler, the owner of an unlicensed security firm Exodus hired to provide security at the hotels, and Weihong Hu, owner of two hotels where Exodus placed the inmates when they were released from Rikers and upstate prisons, were charged with a wide variety of federal...

New York City Mayor Eric Adams meets with Speaker Carl Heastie as he travels to Albany to testify about New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s 2026 Executive Budget on February 4, 2025. -Photo by Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office By Mayor Eric Adams Community OpEd Queens Voice   NEW YORK - Since day one of our administration, our mission has been to make New York City a safer, more affordable city that is the best place to raise a family. Last week, our team and I visited Albany to advocate for funding and legislation so that we can continue to fulfill that mission and keep delivering for working-class New Yorkers. We focused on four key areas. First, passing our “Axe the Tax for the Working Class” legislation to make life more affordable for working-class New Yorkers. This plan eliminates or cuts city personal income taxes for low-income New Yorkers at a moment when our state faces a historic affordability crisis. We anticipate that “Axe the Tax” wi...

The NYPD is searching for this man in connection with an assault on a straphanger on board an F train. - Photo by NYPD By Dan Gesslein Queens Voice February 10, 2025 QUEENS - A Queens subway rider was smashed in the face with a metal object by an attacker on the F train, the NYPD said.  At around midnight on February 5, a 26-year-old male was riding a northbound F train in Rego Park. As the train neared the 67 Avenue Station, a man walk up to him. Cops said without warning the man struck the straphanger in the face with a metal object.  When the train stopped at the station, the attacker jumped off and fled in an unknown direction. However, police were able captured the suspect’s image on station surveillance cameras.  The suspect is described as a male with a medium complexion. He is balding with dark hair and a scraggy beard. He was last seen wearing a bright red shirt with white lettering on the c...