More than 63 thousand students were supposed to graduate from New York City high schools last year. 20 percent of them dropped out. Not counted in that statistic though are the ones who were told to leave school when it became apparent they were falling behind. Advocates say foreign-born kids ...

It's been over a week since the Andrew J. Barberi, a Staten Island Ferry Boat, rammed into a cement dock and killed 10 people. 9 other passengers remain hospitalized. Federal investigators have been trying to piece together the events leading up to the crash but testimony from two major crewmembers ...

Every year dozens of immigrant workers lose their jobs due to what are called no match letters sent by the Social Security Administration. Unions with a large immigrant membership say the number is likely in the hundreds when you account for those who simply disappear once they're faced with the ...

The largest manufacturing industry in New York city remains apparel. But the economic down turn that worsened after the 2001 terrorist attacks dealt a large blow to an industry already shrinking. The immigrants employed in garment factories say two years later they continue to struggle to keep steady work. WNYC's ...

The contract for 78 thousand Verizon workers expires tonight at midnight and both sides have begun preparing for a strike. If it happens, the strike would effect 13 sates in the Northeast. Verizon wants more flexibility to move jobs from one geographic area to another but workers say job security ...

Lead based paint has been banned in New York City for over 40 years. While lead poisoning has dropped dramatically it has not disappeared. Last year 5 thousand children had elevated levels of lead in their blood. Community activists believe a stronger law that makes landlords more responsible is the ...

The fate of the rent laws that govern over a million apartments units in New York City will likely be decided within the next 24 hours. The laws were last renewed in 1997 and officially expired Sunday but the state legislature has been unable to come to a consensus.

More than 14,000 acres of land on the island of Vieques, once controlled by the US navy, are now officially open as a nature preserve. For many the Navy's exit marks a victory at the end of decades of struggle. It was a fight that gained political significance far beyond ...

The U.S. Navy is officially leaving the island of Vieques. Celebrations and rallies including a symbolice dismantling of the fence that marked Camp Garcia will take place at one minute after midnight. In New York there will also be a candlelight vigil and rally in Spanish Harlem.

The city's first official count of homeless who stay on the streets of Manhattan at night was completed early yesterday morning. About a thousand volunteers, many of them city workers and social service professionals, but others just average New Yorkers, braved the cold to see who they could find. WNYC's ...

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is projecting a budget gap of nearly 3 billion dollars over the next two years. As a result, the public will likely have to pay more to ride subways, buses and commuter trains. Tolls on bridges and tunnels are also expected to rise. City riders have ...

Mayor Bloomberg says urgent steps are needed, to close the city's growing budget deficit. With a shortfall of one billion dollars this year...and a deficit approaching six and a half billion dollars next year...the mayor prepared the city for deep cuts in spending and new tax hikes. We have three ...

As the city struggles to find space for families entering the shelter system, those waiting for permanent housing are also part of the problem. Families who are placed in the next level of shelter often linger there for nearly a year. That's a jump from 2 years ago when the ...

Victims of domestic violence often find safe havens in shelters designed specifically for them and their children's needs. But what about victims of of elder abuse? It's a form of victimization that often goes under-reported. Officials estimate that one in 20 seniors are abused by a family member, financial advisor, ...

Both the public and private sector are reaching out to help. But, for those who are undocumented immigrants getting that assistance can be a struggle in and of itself. WNYC's Cindy Rodriguez reports:

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The disaster relief center has had lines forming outside the door since it opened on Monday.

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