New Council Bill Would Ban Mass Recording of Rikers Calls by Jail Staff

New Council Bill Would Ban Mass Recording of Rikers Calls by Jail Staff

The entrance to Rikers Island on Hazen Street in Queens, Jan. 21, 2019. Credit: Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY By Reuven Blau In 2007, Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration pushed through a new rule allowing jail staff to eavesdrop on detainees’ phone calls.  Seventeen years later, a city lawmaker now wants to make it illegal again to listen to and […]

Hochul Considers Smartphone Ban for New York Schools

Hochul Considers Smartphone Ban for New York Schools

Governor Kathy Hochul. Editorial credit: lev radin / Shutterstock.com By Julian Shen-Berro, ChalkBeat Gov. Kathy Hochul is mulling how to get smartphones out of New York schools as city and state officials grapple with the potential harmful effects of social media and other online platforms on youth mental health. This week, Hochul said smartphones should […]

FDA is Thinking About a Ban on Hair-Straightening Chemicals. Stylists Say Black Women Have Moved On

FDA is Thinking About a Ban on Hair-Straightening Chemicals. Stylists Say Black Women Have Moved On

By Kenya Hunter | October 19, 2023 | The Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is considering a ban on certain hair-straightening chemicals that have been used by Black women for years and that research shows may increase the risk of uterine cancer. But Black hair stylists say such products […]