According to a study conducted in San Francisco, book return late fees affect high-need communities disproportionately. Within the New York, Brooklyn, and Queens library systems those with a median household income below $50,000 were six times more likely to gain fines and have their card blocked. 

Fritzi Bodenheimer is the Press Officer with the Brooklyn Public Library. She said  that removing late fees aims to eliminate a barrier for those returning to the library this fall.

“A lot of people when they get fines, they also get nervous and then they don’t come back to the library,” said Bodenheimer. “That’s the last thing we want to happen. We really don’t want to go after people for their money, we just want the books back.”

Bodenheimer also said that those impacted frequently by fines are the most vulnerable in the community. The public libraries are able to track overdue books and the percentage of blocked cards within different branches, while checking the neighborhood’s poverty and income rates. In 2017, the libraries assessed blocked cards citywide and found that 80 percent of blocked youth cards were located in low-income communities.

Nancy Mandl has been a cardholder at the Brooklyn Public Library for over 30 years. She said that the new policy will hopefully correct practices that were isolating to low-income people in the community.

“Research shows that it wasn’t working,” said Mandl. “They were just setting up a blockage to people coming back to the library. They weren’t making any money from it and it was slowing book returns down.”

Mandl is optimistic about the new policy’s potential for attracting youth back to the libraries after the pandemic. 

Callie Eisner, 22, is originally from Philadelphia, and is a student at Hunter College in Manhattan. She said  that the New York Public Library has been a safe haven for her throughout the pandemic. 

“Since I moved here for school, being able to use the libraries when everything was online helped me connect with the city and feel more at home here,” Eisner said. 

For many people who are new to the city, the public library is a place to build community. Among its 92 locations, the New York Public Library system puts on 93,000 events each year. Meaning it shouldn’t be a place that people avoid. Eisner said  that returning books to the Manhattan branches can be inconvenient, causing stress with late fees. 

Kathy Clarke, 43, also stressed over late fees. She said that it was easy to avoid fines for her personal check-outs, but as a nanny it was difficult to keep track of her family’s. 

“We had to come up with a system,” said Clarke. “We made a rule that no library books could go on the bookshelf and the receipt with the date had to be highlighted on the fridge.” 

Late fines made the library a nuisance in Clarke’s work. She said that the new policy changed her attitude towards bringing the kids in, although she is skeptical about whether people will return their books on time. 

“It’s a give and take situation,” Clarke said. “You know, everyone will have to do their part returning the books now. But, hopefully, it will help people come in more.” 

Library cards used to be blocked once they reached a fine of $15. Now the program only asks for late books to be returned in order to check out new ones. 

According to Brooklyn Library Press Officer Bodenheimer, other urban systems that have eliminated late fines, like the Seattle Public Library, still see books being returned on time. People may assume that without late fines there is no incentive for cardholders to bring the books back, but this isn’t the case.

“People don’t keep the books,” said Bodenheimer. “They generally respect the contract that a library has and wants to promote, which is providing a vast resource for the whole community to share.”

In Chicago specifically, eliminating late fines caused a 240 percent increase in book returns. Almost 11,000 cardholders who had fees erased with the policy then renewed or replaced their cards within a year. Five months after eliminating late fees 361,000 books were checked out, marking a seven percent increase from the previous year in only a few months. 

More than 50 different library systems across the country have moved to eliminate late fines, but as a combined system the NYPL is now the largest to do so. This marks a major change in equitable accessibility to learning resources. 

“We always say that libraries are the most democratic institutions,” Bodenheimer said. “You can come into the library and everything we have is free. You don’t have to have a certain income, you don’t have to buy a cup of coffee, you can stay all day and buy nothing. Fines challenged that notion, but now we can really say it.”

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The train and Path cars are so overcrowded to the point that New Yorkers are opting for riding bikes to work.There is an eeriness that lingers through the NJ Transit, the Path stations, and the subways of New York. It’s like nothing any commuter has ever seen before in the over populated tri-state area. 

People who rely on public transportation for their daily commute are potentially exposing themselves everyday. After 4 p.m. during rush hour, social distancing doesn’t exist. Certain subway and Path lines still get stuffed like sardine cans. Everyone is obligated to wear a mask while taking public transportation. The MTA issues $50 fines to anyone not wearing masks, yet there are people who still refuse to follow the covid safety guidelines. Coronavirus cases are increasing each day in New Jersey and New York and many commuters are in constant worry of their safety.

Between the months of October and November, I rode NJ Transit from Elizabeth, New Jersey, to the Q subway line that takes you to Coney Island, and everything in-between to photograph what the new version of commuting looks like. Here is what I encountered above and underground. 

A person sits looking at their phone while riding the NJ Transit towards Newark Penn Station. October 26, 2020. Photo by Michelle Diaz

A person reading on the Path from New Jersey to New York. November 9, 2020. Photo by Michelle Diaz

A person carries flowers off the Path at Newark Penn Station in New Jersey. October 27, 2020. Photo by Michelle Diaz

A person sleeps on the subway in Manhattan, New York. November 17, 2020. Photo by Michelle Diaz

People on the subway in Manhattan, New York. November 14, 2020. Photo by Michelle Diaz

People on the D subway line heading to Coney Island, New York. November 17, 2020. Photo by Michelle Diaz

People coming and going from the Path at the World Trade Center Station. November 3, 2020. Photo by Michelle Diaz

A person sleeping listening to their earphones on the L train in Brooklyn, New York. November 20, 2020. Photo by Michelle Diaz

A family on the Q subway line going to Coney Island, New York. November 25, 2020. Photo by Michelle Diaz

The subway doors close as a person looks into the subway car. November 25, 2020. Photo by Michelle Diaz

A person taking the Q subway line to Coney Island, New York. November 25, 2020. Photo by Michelle Diaz

The view of Luna Park at Coney Island, New York though the Q subway line. November 25, 2020. Photo by Michelle Diaz

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“We were not treated as children…we were both children,” she said. 

Newsome was with her then 14-year-old brother, Hawk Newsome. The pair was on their way home after picking up some groceries at their grandmother’s house when they were targeted by police, who padded down their pockets and searched their grocery bags 

Newsome, 35, of the South Bronx, said that was her first experience with law enforcement and it was traumatic.

The feelings of  fear and trauma have never left her, she said.  As a black woman in America she said she is in constant danger of a police encounter that could go wrong.

“When we get pulled over in our  SUVs it’s like ‘will I make it home?, will they shoot me?’ It’s a protocol that I’ve practiced for years.” said Newsome. “Now when I get in the car and I’m getting pulled over for a cop to give us a ticket, I make sure I’m recording. I’m making sure I’m not moving around and my hands are stationary and this is a protocol.”

Microaggressions are also the norm for her. As a former financial advisor, Newsome received various comments from her white peers complimenting how she is “so well spoken” or “so articulate” as though black women are seen only through the lens of negative stereotypes. 

“Sadly, racism is so ingrained in our society that I don’t think most of them are trying to be insulting at all,” said Newsome. 

Knowing that she had to do something to fight institutionalized racism and other issues that overwhelmed her community. Chivona and her brother decided to organize  Black Lives Matters Greater New York. 

The siblings were raised in a “militant household”  and Hawk Newsome  said  their parents, who met at a civil rights rally, taught them about the importance of standing up for their community.

 He said while growing up not everyone could see the effects of racism first hand or understand how it affected communities of color, but now for younger generations, it’s the norm to be aware about these issues.

“You see things on your cell phone before they even hit the news,” said Newsome. “Those images you see are often revolutionary, they are exposing racism, they are exposing police brutality. Now we can expose individual acts of racism and we can go after the Karens of the world, but in the past we couldn’t do that.” 

Both siblings are now dedicated activists, they have led hundreds of protests over the past five years in favor of racial equality and ending systematic racism. 

Desi Smalls, a 24 year-old from Brooklyn, who has protested in New York City with the group, says the Trayvon Martin case made him understand the dangers he faced as a young black man.

“I remember being in junior high when it happened,” he said. “I will never forget the day that my mom explained to me that whole incident and how George Zimmerman was never held accountable for his actions and ever since then, I’ve been aware of my place in this country.”

For Smalls, living in New York  City has made him  feel safe to voice his opposition to racism. He believes the marchs will lead to change.

“Something will come from all of this. I definitely don’t feel like it’s all in vain,” he said.

Newsome believes that the protests will lead to the transformation the country needs. Recalling one of the chants used during their protests, she said,  “I believe we will win.” 

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A cloud of confetti rained on Barrommetti as students, parents and directors hollered and cheered. It had been 37 years since their students marched along Sixth Avenue.

Soon after the celebration, he and his team got to work figuring out the logistics of getting his kids to the Big Apple. But after nearly a year of fundraisers, band rehearsals and anticipation, the band director said the group’s dreams might be dashed.

“You can’t really plan because you don’t know for certain what’s going to happen,” said Barrommetti, who wonders whether the parade will be cancelled because of coronavirus. “It’s [also] like that with the school year and the marching band season… Everything is very unsettled and very up in the air right now.”

Thousands of events have been cancelled or rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the fate of many others is still uncertain.

The TCS New York City Marathon is still set for November 1. But months of fundraising and training are required before the event, and runners are left with little advice on how to prepare for the race.

“I started making preparations for it, but honestly I’ve been completely paralyzed by what to do,” said hopeful participant and NYU student Jimmy Herdegen, 21, of Chicago, who originally planned to start training this summer.

He said the decision will depend on if he is able to return to school for the fall semester.

“The thing that is stressing me out is that even if they do cancel the marathon, I still have to fundraise,” he said.

While future of the parade and marathon remain uncertain, other events were swiftly cancelled.

  “I’m so sad I won’t be able to see you guys in concert this year, but I know this is the right decision,” popstar Taylor Swift tweeted in mid-April after canceling all shows for the rest of the year.

“Please, please stay healthy and safe,” she wrote. “I’ll see you on stage as soon as I can but right now what’s important is committing to this quarantine, for the sake of all of us.”

Barrommetti said it’s been hard to watch so many end-of-the year school events axed— and it’s just as hard wait to see what will happen next.

“It’s just really sad that all those things don’t get a chance to happen,” he said. “The Macy’s Parade is hopefully not on the chopping block.”

Emily Glass is an NYU undergraduate journalism student.

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Miller who also handled communications for the coronavirus task force said she was asymptomatic, according to NBC News.

Pence was delayed for nearly an hour for this trip to Iowa this morning. Six Staffers who had contact with the infected aide were removed from his plane, according to a senior administration official. 

The confirmation came one day after the news that a personal valet for President Trump tested positive for the virus.

It is the second time the White House has announced a Pence staff member tested positive for the coronavirus. The first tested positive in March.

As of Friday, more than 75,000 Americans have died of Covid-19, and more than 1.2 million have tested positive.

“We are finally ahead of this virus,” Cuomo said.

For the first time since the pandemic outbreak, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared on Friday that his state is finally ahead of its battle against the coronavirus.

“Now I feel for the first time we’re actually ahead of it. We have shown that we can control the beast,” Cuomo said.

Total hospitalizations are down to 8,196, from more than 18,000 at the peak. The daily death toll is at about 200, down from a high of nearly 800, Cuomo said at a press briefing.

He also predicted the state to “see a steady sharp decline” in new hospitalizations, which are still around 600 a day.

Cuomo urged residents to stay cautious as another wave could hit in the future. 

“We haven’t killed the beast, but we’re ahead of it,” he said. “We are ahead of it, and we are in control of our own destiny.”

NY Pause, the name for the state’s stay-at-home measures, will still continue until May 15, Cuomo said. 

California starts to reopen today

America’s most populated state California is taking the first significant step to reopen its economy on Friday by easing restrictions for certain businesses. 

California Governor Gavin Newsom unveiled his plan to allow small retail stores to open. 

Select retailers such as clothing, flowers, furniture and books can reopen to curbside pickup and delivery options. In-store shopping is still not permitted.

Friday’s move is the first of two phases in “Stage 2″ of the state’s four-part reopening plan. 

In hard-hit Los Angeles County, the state’s epicenter, Mayor Eric Garcetti warned that reopening is not “the flipping on of a switch.” 

Garcetti added that local beaches will remain closed.

Shanghai Disneyland reopening tickets sell out in minutes

On the other side of the world in Shanghai, China, people can not wait to jump at a chance to visit the amusement park for the first time since the COVID-19 outbreak forced the park to close on Jan. 25.

Tickets for Monday’s reopening of Shanghai Disney sold out within minutes, according to NPR.

The park’s officials said that visitors will be required to wear face masks at all times unless they are eating.

Visitors are also required to practice physical distancing.

There will be no selfies with famous Disney characters and crowd-oriented features, such as children’s play areas and theater shows, will remain shut down.

“I screamed when I got the ticket,” Shanghai resident Shuwen Chen said. “I’ve been waiting for months to hang out with my friends at Disneyland.”

The park usually sees around 80,000 visitors per day, according to CNBC, but the government has mandated Disney operate at 30% capacity. 

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“How do you operate a school that’s socially distanced, with masks, without gatherings with the  public transportation system that has a lowered number of students on it. How would you get that plan up and running?” Cuomo said. 

The decision on summer school programming will not be made until the end of May.

“Nobody can predict what the situation is going to be three four weeks from now. So we’re trying to stage decisions, add intervals that give us the information but also enough time for people to make the preparations they need to make,” Cuomo said.  

No decision has not been made for the fall, but the state will be approving plans to reopen schools that include safety measures for students and staff.

“They should start preparing their plans now, because this is going to be a real exercise,” Cuomo said. 

Cuomo told reporters that schools should begin to think on how socially distancing can take place in classrooms, buses, cafeterias and dorm rooms.

“We want schools to start now developing a plan to reopen,” he said. “The plan has to have protocols in place that incorporate everything we are now doing in society and everything that we’ve learned.” 

The state closed all K-12 schools on March 18th. Colleges and universities  also moved to social distancing learning. Campuses closed on May 19th except for students who were dependent on student housing.

The New York school system is large.

According to Cuomo there are 4.2 million K- 12 school  students in New York. In addition there are 89 state and  city college and university campuses with 700,000 students. And over 100 private colleges with 500,000 students. 

The schools by definition have higher density and have transportation issues, Cuomo said. 

“The decisions on the education system are obviously critically important,” he said. “We must protect our children, every parent, every citizen feels that, we must protect our students, we must protect our educators.”

New Jersey has not made a decision on the reopening of schools. The decision will most likely be shared next week, said Governor Phil Murphy.

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