AT BAKERY BY TEXTBOOK, the focaccia is $6.50, but employees ask what customers want to pay, calling the transaction “name your price bread.” 

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COUNCILMEMBER SUSAN ZHUANG of Sunset Park, who stands accused of biting a police officer, has raised over $66,000 to defend herself.

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THROUGH A GIFT FROM a former student, Chafen Lu, Brooklyn College was able to create the Peter and Anne Lipke Professorship in Biology.

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Mayor Eric Adams announced today that 35,000 New Yorkers will be relieved of $80 million in medical debt, marking the first round of a plan to provide extensive debt relief.

This effort, the largest municipal medical debt relief program in the country, will ultimately aim to assist up to 500,000 New Yorkers over the next three years.

Beginning this week, letters will be sent to those eligible, notifying them that their medical debt has been forgiven. The program comes as part of the city’s $18 million investment to address the overwhelming issue of medical debt, which is the primary cause of bankruptcy in the United States.

“Working-class families should not have to choose between paying medical bills and keeping a roof over their heads, and thanks to our administration, they won’t have to,” Mayor Adams said in a statement.

Adams first announced this new debt program in 2024, stating the administration is looking to forgive $2 billion throughout the next three years. 

“With this debt relief program, our administration is following through on its promise to relieve $2 billion in medical debt, starting with putting $80 million back in the pockets of working-class New Yorkers this week alone. Our administration is committed to making New York City more affordable and the best place to raise a family,” he said. 

The Mayor’s initiative is in partnership with Undue Medical Debt, a national nonprofit organization based in New York City that specializes in purchasing and forgiving medical debt.

To be qualified for the program, participants must be at or below 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Line, or be carrying medical debt equal to 5 percent or more of annual household income. 

Anne Williams-Isom, deputy mayor for health and human services highlighted the significance of the program for low-income New Yorkers. According to Williams-Isom, the chosen New Yorkers will receive a letter in the mail within the next week stating their debts have been forgiven with no costs or tax penalties involved. 

Dr. Michelle Morse, acting commissioner of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, said this timely initiative can finally take the stress off of struggling locals. The team looks to forgive 500,000 over the next three years. 

“Receiving life-saving medical care should not lead to financial stress, yet countless New Yorkers have faced that reality for years. We are eager to get much-needed debt relief to as many New Yorkers as possible, as soon as possible,” Morse said. 

To support this initiative, Undue Medical Debt and the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City will seek additional funding to expand the program over the next three years. New Yorkers interested in contributing to this cause can donate online.

“While we know medical debt relief isn’t a silver bullet, it provides patients a clear runway for re-engaging in the health care system by quickly and efficiently removing an unnecessary barrier to care,” Allison Sesso, CEO of Undue Medical Debt, said.

With over 100 million Americans holding some form of medical debt, totaling more than $195 billion nationwide, this program stands to significantly impact the financial stability of thousands of families in New York City, particularly in communities disproportionately affected by this burden.

Hundreds gathered in the Moot Court Room at Brooklyn Law School and also virtually Thursday night to hear from five of the candidates.

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THE LAND USE COMMITTEE of Community Board 13 at a Wednesday night meeting rejected a casino project called The Coney.

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Griot Circle, a New York City-based non-profit organization serving LGBTQ older adults of color, announced it signed a 10-year lease to return to its former headquarters after spending more than two years in limbo without a permanent home.

Founded in the mid-’90s, Griot Circle has become a critically important community space and provider for queer older adults of color, including many individuals who travel from across the New York City metropolitan area to take advantage of the organization’s programs and services. Griot Circle’s offerings include art classes, mental health services, a buddy-to-buddy peer caregiver program, support groups, and more.

As Griot Circle emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the organization was forced to move out of its office space at 25 Flatbush Ave. in Brooklyn, forcing staff and members alike to share resources with other organizations. SAGE, a national organization serving LGBTQ older adults, provided a space for Griot Circle at Stonewall Houses in Fort Greene as part of a temporary arrangement, while the Brooklyn Community Pride Center also opened up its space for Griot Circle.

On Jan. 15, however, Griot Circle announced on social media platforms that the organization secured a 10-year lease at its former location at 25 Flatbush Ave. in downtown Brooklyn.

“This is fantastic news for all of us,” the staff and board said in the announcement. “25 Flatbush offers a central location with excellent transportation options, making it easily accessible for current and future members.”

The organization further expressed its “sincere gratitude” to SAGE and the Brooklyn Community Pride Center for providing the space while Griot Circle worked to secure a space of its own. 

“While there is still much work to be done, we are excited to begin designing our new space at 25 Flatbush,” the statement noted. “This will be a collaborative effort, and we will ensure that members have a significant voice in shaping the environment that will best serve our community. In the coming weeks, we will launch a fundraising campaign to support the renovation of our new space and provide a more specific move-in date.”

The organization underwent a change in leadership after initially departing the space at 25 Flatbush. Griot Circle’s former executive director, Jose Albino, was succeeded by former deputy director, Aunduaray Guess.

MAYOR ERIC ADAMS is traveling to Florida to meet with President-elect Donald Trump on Friday.

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