THE MEDIA VS MIGRANTS?

Got 2 Go Pee? Check out this map of public bathrooms! We all know the feeling when you’re in the city somewhere and need to use the bathroom. Tik Tok influencer turned activist, Teddy Siegel has created a map called Got2GoNYC – which crowdsources free public bathrooms across all 5 boroughs. She’s also helped push legislation to call for more public restrooms. Pee-elujah!

The Subway is so expensive! The MTA fare is increasing from $2.75 to $2.90 starting this month on August 20th! The 7-Day Unlimited Ride pass will increase from $33 to $34, and the 30-Day Unlimited Ride pass will increase from $127 to $132.

THE MEDIA VS THE MIGRANTS
Last week, Mayor Adams implemented a state of emergency after announcing New York City had run out of shelter for migrants.

With over 1000 rooms, the city’s main shelter, the Roosevelt Hotel ran out of beds last week. Since then, the shelter has had a line of hundreds waiting for a bed outside, right by Grand Central Station. The scenario has turned into a media circus, and politicians, media sites, and New Yorkers are taking all sides.

In the most brief google search (see picture above), you can see the different biases across the media sites, which brings us to our question…what the heck is really going on?

HERE’S THE REAL TEA THOUGH…
To make up for the deficit, Mayor Adams announced two new facilities to house the migrants in Brooklyn across Sunset Park and Williamsburg but one thing many of the sites are missing is the drama behind the handling of the migrants.

The city hired a medical firm called DocGo to house, transport and manage migrants. Originally hired to handle vaccinations throughout the pandemic, the group was awarded a $432 MILLION contract to now handle migrants, While large contracts are essential for a case of this magnitude, the sourcing feels…off. The firm has gotten multiple complaints about busing migrants to Albany, lying to them about work visas and even threatening and abandoning them. Yet, DocGo reported record growth in the second quarter of this year.

On top of that, the Sunset Park location is being managed by another medical firm called MedRite, which mishandled the Monkeypox vaccination program in a separate $36 million contract. What’s up with these medical clinics being hired to handle this?

WHO SHOULD YOU TRUST?
While the issue of migrants can be polarizing, what we can say is that there is most certainly some sort of mishandling through the city agencies. We need more checks and balances in place from the media/journalists who investigate, the city agencies that operate, and from you, the readers who are the constituents. That’s why we write what we write, and we’re a glad you’re a part of this journey. What are your thoughts on the issues and what should we cover next?

Thanks to our ciaooo reader Rachael Burke for this recco!!!

Amidst the writers’ strike, writers and producers at The Drew Barrymore Show, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, and The Tonight Show come together for Time to Kill: A Sketch Comedy Show, a true sketch comedy variety sketch show made up of the best comedians in New York City — with each performance packed with sketches, musical numbers, celebrity impressions, and more!

This month features America’s sweethearts LeClerc Andre (The Tonight Show), Jack Blankenship (The Tonight Show), Rachael Burke (The Drew Barrymore Show), Lily Blumkin (The Daily Show) Scott Hercman (The Daily Show), Sila Puhl (McSweeney’s), Nick Reichheld (NBC’s Bring the Funny), and more! Plus, stand-up from Saturday Night Live’s KC Shornima!

Date Time: August 12, 2023, 7:30 pm
Location:The PIT Theatre, 154 W 29th St, New York, NY 10001
Tickets: $25