Cindy Rodriguez

New York, NY —

The city will convene a task force to look at what to do about dangerous construction sites. This week alone, one man fell to his death, and two others had to be rescued in hanging scaffold related accidents.

REPORTER: Many of the victims of construction site ...

New York, NY —

The words 421A tax incentive program likely sound arcane to most New Yorkers. It is the type of bureaucratic jargon that causes ones eyes to gloss over. But for some housing activists, and elected officials the words evoke a potential windfall of affordable housing. Just ...

New York, NY —

A Mayoral task force set up to overhaul a program that gives tax breaks to developers will meet for the final time today. The so called 421A program started in the 70’s to spur development and hasn’t been updated since 1987.

The changes to the program ...

New York, NY —

As a way to combat poverty, the city recently proposed paying poor families to do things such as send their children to school regularly and keep doctor's appointments. Rewarding positive behavior with cash is already being tried in several Latin American countries. WNYC's Cindy Rodriguez ...

New York, NY —

Rather than reveal their immigration status, a group of day laborers has decided to drop part of a lawsuit filed against the Village of Mamaroneck in Westchester County.

The day laborers have accused police and village officials of harassing them when they gather at sites where ...

New York, NY —

Over the course of history volunteering has been thought of as women’s work. Even though females are just as busy as their male counterparts these days– they work long hours and attend college at a higher rate - the pattern remains the same. For most ...

New York, NY —

The poverty rate in the city is flat this year - that's according to the latest census numbers. It's the first time in four years the rate has not increased.

The federal income threshhold for living in poverty is just over $15,500 for a family of ...

New York, NY —

Workers, business owners, and unions will weigh in at a Suffolk County hearing this afternoon on a controversial bill that would require some county contractors to check their worker's immigration status.

REPORTER: County Executive Steve Levy has said he introduced the bill after some unions and ...

Governor Pataki has vetoed a bill that would have prohibited mentally ill prisoners from being put in solitary confinement. WNYC's Cindy Rodriguez reports:

Advocates for the mentally ill say it's cruel and inhumane to keep prisoners who suffer from diseases such as schizophrenia and manic depression in isolation. They tell stories ...

New York, NY —

Last month, the city announced it wanted to clear 73 encampments where homeless people have made makeshift homes. While many of the sites are tucked away in spots unseen by most New Yorkers, the city says they are unhealthy and unacceptable places to live. Outreach ...

Queens, NY —

News that Cuban leader Fidel Castro has temporarily relinquished power following intestinal surgery has some New York Cubans hoping he will never return to power. WNYC's Cindy Rodriguez reports:

At a Cuban restaurant in Queens, there was no sympathy for Castro. A man who would only give ...

New York, NY —

Con Ed says about 18-hundred customers in northwestern Queens remain without power today. For many businesses, this means thousands of dollars in losses. WNYC's Cindy Rodriguez visited one commercial district in Woodside, Queens.

REPORTER: Underneath the 7 train on Roosevelt Avenue many businesses are closed and ...

New York, NY —

The Mexican elections have still not been finalized, and voters demanding a recount are expected to rally for a second time Sunday. In New York, some Mexicans are expressing disappointment over the election results.

REPORTER: It's been more than a week since offical results showed conservative ...

New York, NY —

More than 31,000 adults and children slept in a NYC shelter last night. The Bloomberg Administration wants to see that number shrink and so they have been experimenting with a new philosophy - stop homelessness before it begins. For about a year and a half, ...

New York, NY —

Governor Pataki has vetoed a bill that would have allowed thousands of home daycare providers to join a union. WNYC's Cindy Rodriguez reports.

REPORTER: The mostly female workforce provides daycare out of their homes to thousands of children from low income families. Complaining that their wages ...

New York, NY —

A new special office set up to receive calls of concern about child abuse cases is being used frequently by city employees and non-profits who work with the Administration for Children's Services.

The newly established "Safety First" office was one of several reforms introduced by the ...

New York, NY —

In Jackson Heights, and Sunset Park in Perth Amboy, and Morrisstown, thousands of immigrants took the day off of work to participate in a Day Without Immigrants. At 12:16, immigrants and their supporters joined hands and formed human chains along the sidewalks in commercial districts ...

New York, NY —

The city's fourth annual street homeless count shows a 13 percent drop compared to last year, but in some areas the number of homeless increased. WNYC's Cindy Rodriguez reports.

The city's estimate shows just over 3800 inviduals currently live on city streets, that's down from nearly ...

New York, NY —

The New York City Housing Authority plans to raise rents for tenants with the highest incomes. The measure is supposed to help rescue public housing as it continues to receive less money from the federal government.

In the past the New York City Housing Authority has ...

New York, NY —

A push to reform the nation’s immigration laws has rapidly created a mass mobilization of immigrants and their supporters. In the past month, hundreds of thousands have taken to the streets to demand legalization and denounce a bill that would make felons out of those ...