The head of a progressive political party in New York is urging voters to cast votes on the party’s line at a time when a new state law is jeopardizing the future of minor parties. Political parties must now receive 2% of the vote — or 130,000 votes — in the previous presidential or gubernatorial election to qualify as a party and get on the ballot. A political party’s status will now be reviewed every other year starting in November. The state’s new ballot qualification requirements are set to take effect under a federal judge’s Tuesday decision, meaning that minor parties could lose their spot on the ballot in future elections if they don’t get enough votes in November.

Gyms in New York City can start reopening Wednesday with a slew of virus-related restrictions, the latest step the city is taking in a phased reopening after being the U.S. epicenter of the pandemic earlier this year. Gym members will need to wear a mask at all times and stay 6 feet apart, and gyms can only operate at one-third capacity. Group fitness classes are still not permitted. Gyms in other parts of the state were allowed to open at restricted capacity starting Aug. 24, but New York City officials delayed the reopening until Sept. 2 so that the health department could conduct safety inspections by video. Gov. Andrew Cuomo closed gyms statewide in March as New York shut down nonessential businesses to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

A person was shot at 9th Avenue and 42nd Street, Wednesday afternoon. The victim was driven by private vehicle to Maimonides Hospital in traumatic arrest, and was pronounced dead a short while later. An NYPD Level 1 Mobilization response was requested. Law enforcement sources tell YWN that the suspect may have fled in a grey Hyundai Sonata with “TLC” Plates. The suspect is a black male wearing a white tee shirt, red shirts with a beard. Boro Park Shomrim was on the scene as well. Meanwhile, a person was stabbed at 928 41st Street minutes after the shooting. FDNY EMS and the NYPD were on the scene. It was unknown if the incidents are connected.

President Donald Trump is taking steps to revoke federal funds from New York City and other cities he says are descending into ‘anarchy’, according to a new report. Trump on Wednesday signed a five-page memo ordering all federal agencies to send reports to the White House Office of Management and Budget on federal funds going to four cities that can be redirected, according to the New York Post. In addition to New York, the memo names Seattle, Washington DC and Portland, Oregon as potential targets for revocation of federal funds. ‘My Administration will not allow Federal tax dollars to fund cities that allow themselves to deteriorate into lawless zones,’ Trump says in the memo, according to the Post. READ MORE: DAILY MAIL UK

Shootings in New York City were up by nearly 166 percent and murders were up by nearly 50 percent in August compared to the same month last year, NYPD data released Wednesday shows. The city logged 242 shooting incidents last month — a 165.9 percent increase from August 2019, when 91 shooting incidents were logged, the newly-released data shows. A total of 1,014 shootings took place between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31 of this year — an 87 percent jump from the months between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31 of 2019, when the city logged 541 shootings, the data shows. Murders in the city were up by 34 percent in the first eight months of this year compared to the same period last year, from 217 to 291. Fifty-three of those 291 murders took place last month, the data shows.

A federal appeals court on Tuesday blocked a New York prosecutor from obtaining Donald Trump’s tax returns while the president’s lawyers fight a subpoena seeking the records. The three-judge panel ruled after hearing brief arguments from both sides. Trump’s lawyers asked for a temporary stay while they appeal a lower-court ruling that granted Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.’s office access to Trump’s tax returns. A lawyer for Vance’s office had argued that further delays would only impede their investigation. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. NEW YORK — A federal appeals court is weighing whether to allow a New York prosecutor access to President Donald Trump’s tax returns while his lawyers fight a subpoena seeking the records.

YWN regrets to inform you of the Petira of the Rabbi Emeritus of the Young Israel of Midwood, HaRav Moshe Yehuda Greenberg ZATZAL, who led the shul and was a pillar in the community for decades. The Niftar was one of the first talmidim of Beth Medrash Gavoah, and a Talmid of Hagoan HaRav Aharon Kotler ZATZAL. He was the brother-in-law to Rav Dovid Feinstein שליטא. The Levaya set out from his home at the corner of E. 14th and Avenue L at 11:45 this morning, and will proceeded to the Young Israel at 1694 Ocean Ave. Boruch Dayan Ha’Emmes… STAY WITH YWN WHATSAPP FOR BREAKING UPDATES IN LIVE TIME!  YWN WHATSAPP STATUS UPDATES: CLICK HERE to join the YWN WhatsApp Status. YWN WHATSAPP GROUPS: CLICK HERE to be dded to an official YWN WhatsApp Group. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

New York City officials say motor vehicle deaths are up, so they’re lowering the speed limit. DOT officials announced Tuesday they are reducing speed limits by five miles per hour on nine of the most dangerous streets across the five boroughs. The speed limit will be lowered to 25 miles per hour on parts of Riverside Drive in Manhattan, Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, Northern Boulevard in Queens and Bruckner Boulevard in the Bronx. The limit will also drop to 25 miles per hour on Shore Parkway Service Road and Dahlgren Place in Brooklyn, Webster Avenue in the Bronx, and Targee Street in Staten Island. STAY WITH YWN WHATSAPP FOR BREAKING UPDATES IN LIVE TIME!  YWN WHATSAPP STATUS UPDATES: CLICK HERE to join the YWN WhatsApp Status.

The executive board of the teachers union on Monday told union officials to continue negotiations with New York City over a school reopening plan, but that they could authorize a strike vote if no agreement had been reached by Tuesday afternoon. New York City has issued a hybrid plan for the 1.1 million children in its schools for the academic year starting Sept. 10. The United Federation of Teachers union has said there are safety concerns that need to be addressed in any reopening plan, and that it was prepared to go to court or on strike, even though New York state bars teachers and other public employees from striking.

NYPD Chief Chaplain Rabbi Alvin Kass was mugged during his daily walk on the Upper West Side early Tuesday morning. The attack occurred at around 5:45AM, as Kass, 84, was on his morning walk near West 107th Street and Riverside Drive. The suspect demanded money and began to riffle through Kass’ pockets saying “I’m hungry, I need food,” ABC-TV reports. After a brief scuffle ensued, the rabbi fell and injured his shoulder. The attacker fled with the rabbi’s cash and police shield, which he later dropped, the report adds. He refused medical attention at the scene. Four years ago, Kass – the longest-serving member of the NYPD – was also mugged on the Upper West Side while walking on Riverside Drive between West 83rd and West 84th streets and suffered minor injuries.