NYC Schools Closed + Petition Requirements Reduced

LOCAL NEWS

After days of mounting pressure, including from the United Federation of Teachers, Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio announced that NYC city schools will shut down as of today. Remote teaching will begin next Monday.
New York has suspended evictions statewide until further notice.
All New York Public Library branches closed as of Saturday, and the Brooklyn and Queens systems announced closures last night.
Two Brooklyn Assemblymembers tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, and the state legislature is scrambling to finalize a budget under the possibility that lawmakers will not be in Albany after this week.
Stores around the city and state have been accused of price gouging on items that help neutralize COVID-19, such as disinfectant spray and hand sanitizer. Price gouging is illegal and can be reported to 1-800-697-1220.
In an effort to combat price gouging and supply shortages, New York State has begun making its own hand sanitizer, which will be distributed to residents for free. However, that state is saving on production costs by forcing prisoners to produce the hand sanitizer; the incarcerated workers are paid an average of 65 cents an hour.

Cuomo has used his emergency powers to lower the number of signatures needed to get on the June ballot to 30% of what was previously needed. Petitioning will end on Tuesday at 5PM.
The special election for Queens Borough President is still scheduled for March 24th, despite calls for delay. Voters can request absentee ballots until the 23rd.
Gothamist profiled DSA-endorsed candidate for State Assembly Zohran Mamdani.
In These Times interviewed Phara Souffrant Forrest, the DSA-endorsed candidate for State Assembly in the 57th district.