Queens News - Local News

By Amanda Torres  Queens Voice July 8, 2025 An infectious disease expert shares information on NB.1.8.1, which has caused a surge in COVID infections in parts of Asia.     This article originally appeared in NewYork Presbyterian Health Matters. NEW YORK - The new COVID variant known as NB.1.8.1, nicknamed Nimbus, has emerged globally and is beginning to spread in the United States. Nimbus accounted for an estimated 37% of cases in the U.S., during a two-week period ending June 7, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  What sets NB.1.8.1 apart is how quickly it spreads,” explains Dr. Magdalena Sobieszczyk, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. “It has a genetic advantage: mutations that make it easy for it to bind to receptors on human cells. The mutations could allow NB.1.8.1 to spread faster and...

  The aims of the bills, which include curbing illegal evictions and keeping tenants safe during heatwaves, were broadly supported by those testifying — but implementation challenges lingered. This article originally appeared in The City. By  Rachel Kahn NEW YORK - The City Council took one step closer to expanding protections for tenants against illegal evictions and mandating that all tenant-occupied buildings have access to cooling during the summer. In a committee hearing, council members heard testimony on a slate of bills addressing the issues. Councilmember Lincoln Restler, who is the primary sponsor of the air conditioning bill, acknowledged that the bills were “bold” but maintained that they were necessary — especially because extreme temperatures are the “number one climate killer.” “It’s not wildfire, or hurricanes, or tornadoes,” he said. “It’s heat.” Though currently city landlords are required to provide heat in residential buildings during “heat season...

3 Suspects Punch, Stab Man During Line Dispute The NYPD is searching for these three men in connection with the stabbing of a man with a broken bottle. -Photo by NYPD By Dan Gesslein  Queens Voice  April 16, 2024  QUEEN S - A dispute over being bumped on line led to a near fatal attack when three men punched and stabbed the victim with a broken bottle, cops said. At around 4:45 am on April 7, a 20-year-old male was on line inside a business near 210-08 Jamaica Avenue when another man bumped into him. The victim and the aggressor got into a verbal dispute that quickly escalated.  Cops said two of the suspect’s friends jumped in and started punching the victim. One of the attackers took a broken bottle and stabbed the victim in the abdomen and slashed his left arm and right wrist, cops said. The cuts caused severe bleeding.  The victims ran out of the store and into a waiting dark colored Honda sedan.  The victim was rushed to Mercy Ho...

Knocked to the Ground During Robbery The NYPD is searching for this man in connection with a violent purse snatching in Queens. -Photo by NYPD By Dan Gesslein  Queens Voice April 12, 2024 QUEENS - A Queens woman was choked and knocked to the ground during an early morning purse snatching attempt, cops said. At around 6:20 am on April 8, a 62-year-old woman was walking on Hampton Street. Cops said a man ran up behind her and grabbed the woman by the neck. He then dragged her to the ground and tried to yank her purse away but was unable. The attacker ran away on Hampton Street empty-handed, cops said. The victim refused medical treatment at the scene. The NYPD released surveillance video of the suspect. He is described as a male in his 20s who has a light complexion. He was last seen wearing a black jacket, red pants, and white sneakers. Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at  1-800-577-TIPS ...