New York Amsterdam News August 20, 2026 - August 26, 2026

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Vol. 117 No. 34 | August 20, 2026 - August 26, 2026

THE NEW BLACK VIEW

©2026 The Amsterdam News | $1.00 New York City

WHAT IS THE FUTURE FOR BLACK KIDS IN TENNIS? (See story on page 6-7)

(Photo illustration by AmNews; Imani Jean: Howard University Athletic photo, Frances Tiafoe: AP Photo/Emma Da Silva, NYJTL Participants: USTA Foundation photo)

Victory at the Turnstile Urban Agenda by David R. Jones, President and CEO of the Community Service Society of New York - See page 5

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THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

NYS takes on ICE with $7.25M toward legal services for unaccompanied minors By TANDY LAU Amsterdam News Staff In 2015, then-NYC Public Advocate Letitia James personally represented a tenth grader whom she identified only as “Keybi” in immigration court. The unaccompanied minor arrived in the United States from Honduras alone and faced almost certain deportation without a lawyer, but James convinced the judge to allow the teen to stay with his uncle in Brooklyn through a special immigrant juvenile status with a pathway to obtaining a green card. On August 12, James, who is now New York State attorney general, recounted that story as she stood with Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani to announce $7.25 million in state funding toward legal representation for unaccompanied minors after the Trump administration did not re-up a contract with legal service provider Acacia Center for Justice. The money will cover more than 1,400 children across the state who arrived in the country without a parent or legal guardian, as Keybi once did. “Keybi has graduated from college, Keybi is married now,” said James. “Keybi, of course, lives in Brooklyn. Keybi is contributing to our economy and Keybi now has status, but what I remember about family

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani makes announcement about standing up to ICE overreach with Governor Hochul and Attorney General James on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. (Michael Appleton/ Mayoral Photography Office)

court that day was that there were a number of children without attorneys, some of them so small when they sat in the courtroom, their feet didn’t touch the ground; some of them had toys in their hands; some of them looked around in bewilderment, [and] most of them were alone. “No parents, no guardians, no lawyers. That cannot happen again. It’s up to our state. It’s up to our city to move forward and

to protect these children, and to not sit idly by, and allow their rights to be violated, or allow them to be in deportation proceedings and return to countries that, unfortunately, are very violent.” Immigrant children who arrive in the United States alone — unaccompanied minors — are entitled to counsel, thanks to the William Wilberforce Trafficking See UNACCOMPANIED MINORS on page 29

NYC Deputy Chancellor Simone Hawkins stepping down from her job in September By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff New York City’s Deputy Chancellor Simone C. Hawkins, the Black woman who serves as head of early childhood education, is leaving her role in September. Hawkins oversaw Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s ambitious 2-K program as well as the city’s pre-K and 3-K programs. Hawkins was appointed by former Schools Chancellor David C. Banks in 2024, who had served in former Mayor Eric Adams’ administration. She was previously the Chief Executive of Early Childhood Operations for Adams in 2022, and Chief Equity Officer for the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Her job was to oversee the education of children up to age 5, and the implementation of NYC Reads classrooms. “I am deeply proud of all that my team and I have accomplished in service of our youngest New Yorkers,” said Hawkins in a statement, according to Gothamist. “Over the past two years as Deputy Chancellor, we’ve improved practice, launched 2-K, a historic program that will deliver affordable child care for New York City families, and opened schools that for too long have sat vacant.” A cornerstone of Mamdani’s campaign pledges, the 2-K initiative aims to fulfill his

Deputy Chancellor of Early Childhood Education, Simone C. Hawkins at 2025CCEC Election voting party. (New York City Public Schools Press Office photo)

promise of universal free childcare. Earlier this month, the city received more than 2,000 children into the inaugural 2-K class, with more than 5,700 families having applied across five initial school districts. Families who did not receive an initial offer were waitlisted. The city said it plans to expand the 2K program to serve about 12,000 children, including families on Staten Island, in 2027. Advocates are perturbed by the announcement of Hawkins leaving. Brooklyn’s Community Education Council (CEC) District 16 said

in a joint statement that the group “is deeply concerned” by what her departure represents. “Representation in leadership is not symbolic. It matters. It shapes perspectives, informs decision-making, and builds trust with the communities our schools serve,” said CEC 16. “Across our nation, many Black communities are expressing growing concern about the declining presence of Black women in executive leadership. While every leadership See DEPUTY CHANCELLOR HAWKINS on page 29

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Anxious students who were unenrolled now moving into Howard University dorms By MATT BROWN, TERRY TANG and COREY WILLIAMS Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Nikiyah Clark had five boxes and a backpack when she ultimately received the keys to her Howard University dorm. Weeks earlier, the school told her this moment would never come. When Howard administrators informed Clark — and hundreds of others — that she was permanently unenrolled for missing a tuition fee deadline, she rode a bus from Cleveland, Ohio, to plead with administrators. She left in tears. “I didn’t just lose my dream. I lost my way out,” said the 17-year-old, who had pinned her hopes on Howard as a peaceful environment and a path to financial freedom after years of growing up in “survival mode.” Shortly after that, the university notified Clark she was once again welcome to enroll. But as she moved into the Washington, D.C., campus on Thursday, she remained uneasy. She worries that the university might reverse its decision yet again, and hopes Howard will make changes so that other students aren’t wrongfully unenrolled. “I’m definitely not really over that,” Clark said. While administrators prefer that students, faculty and alumni focus on the school’s new academic year, much of the community’s attention is still trained on the unenrollment debacle. More than 500 incoming first-year students were unenrolled for missing a July tuition payment deadline, the university said. About 200 students have had their enrollment restored. It was also reported Friday that Howard unenrolled the students about a month after offering voluntary early retirement buyouts to 600 eligible employees. But Howard University said in a statement that the employee buyouts were unrelated and part of a plan for “long-term financial sustainability.” For some in the Howard community, the bitter experience has raised questions about the legacy of one of the country’s most revered historically Black colleges and universities. Others say such administrative matters won’t lessen the career impact a Howard diploma can have. The loss of HBCU luster Zy’Aira Blackmon had her heart set on attending Howard, seen as the preeminent Black university in the nation. But, after her enrollment status was revoked and then reinstated within days, the 18-year-old from Grand Rapids, Michigan, doesn’t feel the same way. The luster Howard once held has been dulled. “After this situation, most people are going to ignore all the good things Howard has to offer,” said Blackmon, who now will study at Western Michigan University.

August 20, 2026 - August 26, 2026 • 3

Douglass Houses hit with significant outage By TANDY LAU Amsterdam News Staff

NYCHA workers use stairclimbers to help wheelchair users up the Douglass Houses. (Carmen Quinones)

Howard University freshman Nikiyah Clark meets fellow students on move-in day, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in Washington. (Allison Robbert/AP)

When Howard took away 17-year-old Yuisa Davis’ enrollment, her mother hopped on a plane July 28 from the family’s Puerto Rico home to get answers. An administrative official told Karina PolenDavis and her husband, who was on speakerphone, that she couldn’t answer their questions. Then the official called security. The Davises say they paid what they thought they owed but the university rescinded enrollment without explanation or recourse. The school never budged. “It’s very disheartening just because there’s so many opportunities that’s kind of just been taken from me without me being able to [find a resolution],” said Yuisa Davis, who often visited Howard as a child. Now, Davis is working with The New School in New York City on possible financial aid. “The difference in how we’ve been treated has been night and day,” Kenneth Davis said.

Some students assert they followed the school’s payment requirements. Blackmon said her scholarship had not been included in her balance owed. After being unenrolled, she constantly called and emailed the school. “They reinstated me. They really didn’t explain much,” she added. Ashley Christopher, an attorney and Howard alumna whose son is a sophomore there, thinks Howard shoulders some blame. She is the founder of HBCU Week, a foundation that awards scholarships, and believes students received “bad information” from the school. “There’s a way to take accountability for a misstep, and also explain that there’s joint responsibility here,” said Christopher, an attorney. “It is not just the parents. It’s not just the students.” Frederick said that how Howard has handled unenrollment and reenrollment can contribute positively to the school’s image. Families and university officials blame “All this does is strengthen our legacy miscommunication and helps us perform as a high-performInterim President Wayne A. I. Freder- ing institution on the administrative side, ick told The Associated Press last month as we have been doing in the past,” he said. that Howard simply followed its payment policy, noting that 2,200 students did meet A storied and preeminent HBCU payment requirements. The nearly 160-year-old Howard is one Unenrolled students and their parents of about 100 HBCUs in the U.S., with did not properly read school communica- famous alumni including former Vice tions about a July 10 deadline for half their President Kamala Harris and actor Chadunpaid balance, with financial aid factored wick Boseman. in, Frederick said. Howard has a six-year graduation rate of Those students who did everything cor- 70% and a retention rate of 90%, according to rectly “deserve to show up on Aug. 17, the the U.S. Department of Education’s Integratfirst day of class and meet their professors ed Postsecondary Education Data System. in class, have their housing assignments The school consistently ranks among the taken care of,” Frederick said. Previously, most prestigious private HBCUs, including the school had to scramble to find enough as the top-ranked HBCU by Forbes. student housing and adjunct professors to The university costs more than $66,000 See HOWARD on page 21 fill classrooms.

NYCHA’s Frederick Douglass Houses on the Upper West Side faced major outages early last week, including elevator and water issues, which forced four teams of staff to assist wheelchair-bound residents with a “stairclimber” assistance device so they could reach their upstairs units. Tenant association head Carmen Quinones says she cannot recall a more significant outage during her time representing her neighbors. “Mother nature really screwed us this time,” Quinones told the Amsterdam News. “This has not happened like that. I stay on top of everything…this was a horror show.” As of press time, most repairs had been made, but Quinones, who has become a prominent public housing advocate in the greater Harlem area and even ran for public office, pointed to specific issues with 830 Columbus Avenue, a building within the development. Quinones has long pointed to underfunding and overworked staff, which many public housing developments currently face. Earlier this month, the AmNews reported on how residents are balancing these concerns with ongoing pseudoprivatization efforts through RAD/PACT, which allow private organizations to fill the gap in exchange for shifting away from the traditional Section 9 model used to keep public housing public. NYCHA spokesperson Andrew Sklar responded to AmNews requests to comment for the housing authority. “This past weekend, due to an emergency repair by the utility company, elevator and water service at Douglass were temporarily interrupted,” said Sklar. “These services were restored as quickly and safely as possible, and stair climber service was available to residents throughout the duration of the outage.” Residents in need of assistance should call the customer contact system at 718-7077771 or reach out through the MyNYCHA application.

4 • August 20, 2026 - August 26, 2026

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Nolan Wells’ family tells Black journalists they are ‘asking what any parent would ask’ about his death By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff The grieving parents of Nolan Xavier Wells — a Black 18-year-old who died July 4th weekend in Mississippi — described their painful ordeal to a gathering of Black journalists in Atlanta last week, saying it is “definitely getting harder” as they continue to seek answers behind their son’s death while celebrating with three other friends, who were white. “That realization is really sinking in that we don’t have our son physically here anymore,” said Christine Wonsley, tearfully at a press conference held at the NABJ convention in Atlanta on August 13. “And I think a lot of people have forgotten the only thing we want to know is what happened. That’s all we want to know is what happened to our son.” Wonsley and her husband Elmore were joined by renowned civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton and attorney Ben Crump at the 2026 National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Convention, a forum historically known for platforming newsmakers — particularly those of interest to the African American community. Wells was a graduate of Ocean Springs High School and a football player at Southwest Mississippi Community College. Wells would have turned 19 on August 19. His family organized a national prayer vigil for his birthday to honor his memory. “Nolan brought light to our family. He was the fun in it. And with his birthday coming up, like my wife said, we have to deal with a new normal,” said Elmore Wonsley. “We just want the truth. We just want to know what any other parent would want to know. We are asking the questions any parent would ask.” The Associated Press reported Wells traveled by boat with a group of white friends to Horn Island, which is federal property off the Mississippi Gulf Coast, on July 4. He was last seen on the island at approximately 3 p.m. and did not return to the mainland with the group. His mother reported him missing that night, and his body was recovered near the island on July 6. Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said there was no suspicion of “foul play.” However, many Black-led organizers and social media noted that circumstances leading up to Wells’ disappearance are still unknown. The Mississippi medical examiner has not released the results of the official state autopsy. An independent autopsy, commissioned by the family and paid for by former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, showed no evidence of fractures or deep tissue injuries, and described a “red discoloration” on the back of Wells’ skull as “inconclusive.” This was performed after the state autopsy, which may have complicated results, according to the AP report.

Christine Wonsley (center) walks with Rev. Al Sharpton (right), her husband Elmore (second from left), and attorney Ben Crump (left) during a memorial service for her son Nolan Xavier Wells, an 18-year-old found dead after taking a July 4 boat trip with friends on Monday, July 20, 2026, in Ocean Springs, Miss. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

“Our lives have forever changed. This new normal is something I would never wish on anyone, not even my worst enemy. The hurt that we feel daily, the conversations that we have to have, not just with each other, but also with our other children as they are grieving as well,” Christine Wonsley said. At present, Crump’s team is conducting an independent investigation and pressing for a forensics review of Wells’ phone. Sharpton has promised a $100,000 reward for any new information about Wells’ death. Half of which will be covered by filmmaker Tyler Perry, who also paid for the funeral. An additional $25,000 was promised by former NFL player Terrell Owens. “Somebody knows something. Somebody saw something…we need you to give us a voice in the tradition of Ida B. Wells. We can’t have the police just writing the narratives and the reports,” said Crump. “They didn’t ask to be public figures. They only are trying to get justice for their son,” said Sharpton, referring to the attacks Wells’ parents have personally and professionally received. “We find ourselves asking the same questions. How did it happen? Why did it happen? This family stands here demanding answers. This family deserves answers. I myself sought the same justice for my son Jordan that they’re seeking for theirs,” said Georgia Rep. Lucy McBath, who is the

National Action Network Saturday Action Rally on August 8, 2026. (Contributed photo by NAN)

mother of the late Jordan Davis, a young Black man shot to death in 2012 by a white man at a Florida gas station. She is calling for a full federal investigation by FBI Director Kash Patel.

“They deserve answers, and they deserve justice,” said McBath. “Justice that should not be denied this family or should ever be denied to any of our children or lost loved ones.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

How Terri Wisdom turned pain into purpose in Black independent media

Black

August 20, 2026 - August 26, 2026 • 5

THE URBAN AGENDA

By David R. Jones, Esq

Victory at the Turnstile

New Yorker

New York City’s mass transit system is one of the greatest public transportation networks in the world and the indispensable engine that keeps our city and region moving. Every weekday, the city’s buses and subways carry more than five million riders, connecting workers to jobs, students to schools, patients to health care, and families to opportunity. This vast transit network is not merely a transportation system. It is the economic lifeblood of New York City and the surrounding region, powering commerce, reducing congestion, and sustaining the dynamism that makes New York one of the world’s great economic engines

Terri Wisdom, in front of her Harlem Network News vendor booth at Summer in the City during Harlem Week 2026. (Jason Ponterotto)

By JASON PONTEROTTO Special to the AmNews Terri Wisdom wears several hats, including media businesswoman, journalist, educator, and activist. As the founder of Harlem Network News, a digital news platform available on social media, she can regularly be seen at community events in Harlem. Wisdom, 74, grew up in South Jamaica, Queens, and came of age during the civil rights era and Black identity movements of the 1960s and ’70s, and says the historic period of her youth greatly shaped her trajectory. “Everybody went from having straightened hair to Afros and fists raised in the air. That’s where I come from,” Wisdom said. She attended Lincoln University, where she became friends with the legendary Gil Scott-Heron, who became a great inspiration for her, but transferred to Fordham University, where she graduated to pursue film and TV. However, she said she regrets the choice, noting the racism she experienced and that she even graduated a year early to get away. “If I had it to do again, I would have stayed at Lincoln,” Wisdom said. “I really hated it at Fordham. … It’s a very racist institution, particularly at that time.” In the early 1970s, Wisdom was involved in production with the Children’s Television Workshop, working on shows like “Sesame Street” and “The Electric Company.” Later on, she held several roles at numerous local news stations, including ABC, CBS, CNN, and PIX 11. She said she witnessed firsthand that there were very few Black faces behind the scenes in production, which meant stories related to Black communities would not get priority. She also said she

experienced racism in the newsroom. “I experienced a lot of abuses,” Wisdom recalled, including instances where coworkers lied about her. “They’re not covering our kinds of stories,” Wisdom said of the major news stations, which she said was the case then, and is just as bad today. “The only way they come in [for coverage] is maybe if somebody is murdered or something like that.” With the encouragement of her husband, Wisdom created HNN in the spring of 2020 during the beginning of COVID, because she recognized a need to get medical information to Harlem’s Black community. Early on, she had Black healthcare providers, local political figures, and even funeral directors on her live shows to discuss how serious COVID was and correct misinformation. A life-altering tragedy In 2021, after her son Ali Sam Waymon Wisdom was shot and killed in an unsolved case on the Shinnecock Reservation on Long Island, Wisdom was connected to Harlem activist Jackie Rowe-Adams and her organization, Harlem Mothers and Fathers Save. The group works with parents who have lost children to gun violence. She would have Adams as a guest on her show and afterward joined the organization, in which she remains active. Wisdom was intent on turning pain into purpose by using her media skills. “I don’t think people get past that trauma, but you have to do something, so something that I’m doing is in media, making sure more Black people and everybody [are] educated and informed on what’s going on,” Wisdom said. “I use media to fight the disparities See BNY on page 21

It is also true that transportation costs represent an unavoidable expense that can put a strain on the financial lives of those struggling to make a living in the most expensive city on the planet. That is why the recent expansion of the Fair Fares discount public transit program — raising eligibility from 150 percent to 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level —is a landmark victory for working-class New Yorkers. Since its launch in 2019, Fair Fares has served as an economic equalizer, offering a crucial 50 percent discount on subway, bus, and Access-A-Ride fares to low-income New York City residents. But with the cost of living continuing to press hard against low-wage households across all five boroughs, the program was no longer reaching far enough up the income ladder to protect struggling families. The expansion of Fair Fares would not have been possible without the strong leadership of the Mamdani Administration, alongside the NYC Council Speaker and the entire City Council. By pushing the eligibility limit to 200 percent of the federal poverty line (an annual income cap of $31,920 for an individual or $66,000 for a family of four), city leadership has opened the door for approximately 1.3 million working-age New Yorkers to take advantage of the Fair Fares program. An estimated 45 percent of newly eligible residents are regular commuters, meaning this expansion will directly lower transportation costs for nearly 500,000 daily workers. A Game Changer for New Yorkers This expansion will make a real difference in people’s lives. In a 2026 Community Service Society of New York (CSS) survey of more than 1,600 low-income New Yorkers receiving public benefits, the impact of discounted transit was unmistakable: 92 percent of Fair Fares recipients reported that the program makes moving around New York City vastly easier. And 81 percent emphasized that the money saved at the turnstile goes straight toward fundamen-

tal household essentials like rent, food, and utility bills. When we make public transit affordable, we are not just lowering commuting expenses, we are keeping families housed and fed. But even with half-priced fares, 64 percent of current Fair Fares users report that transit remains a heavy financial burden. As one Queens resident shared with CSS researchers, “Even with half off, it’s 3 bucks a day for a round trip. That’s a lot.” To fully realize the promise of an equitable city, we must build on the momentum created by the Mayor and City Council by adopting key future reforms: 1. Automate Enrollment: Streamline access by automatically enrolling New Yorkers who already qualify through SNAP, Cash Assistance, or CityFHEPS housing vouchers. 2. Zero Fares for the Lowest Income: Make public transit entirely free for households earning below 150 percent of the federal poverty level. 3. Raise the Cap to 300 percent FPL: Extend half-priced fares to include all minimum-wage workers across New York City. 4. Protect Seniors on Access-A-Ride: Eliminate the age-64 cutoff for Access-A-Ride users so elderly residents are not forced back to paying full fare. 5. Improve affordability and reliability: Adopt free buses for all New Yorkers and increase investments in improvements, particularly in communities with limited transportation options. The origins of Fair Fares goes back to an April 2016 CSS study that found that 58 percent of low-income New Yorkers rely on subways and buses to get around the city. For more than 300,000 people, public transit fares exceed 10 percent of their annual household budget, according to the study. When it was first launched, only city residents living at or below the poverty line were eligible for half-priced transit fares. Ten years later, the expansion of the program proves that our city can lead the nation in compassionate, common-sense policy. When we first imagined Fair Fares, working in partnership with Riders Alliance, elected officials and other advocates, we knew it had the potential to be a transformative program for New York’s working-class families. All it needed was the political will. We owe deep gratitude to the Mamdani Administration, the City Council Speaker, and the Council at large for turning vision into reality. Together, they have proven that an affordable transit system is within our reach. Now let’s keep moving forward.

David R. Jones, Esq., is President and CEO of the Community Service Society (CSS), New York’s leading advocate for low-income New Yorkers for more than 175 years, and a member of the MTA Board. The views expressed in this column are solely those of the author. The Urban Agenda is available on the CSS website at www.cssny.org

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THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Who will continue the legacy?

Are communities and programs doing enough to attract Black youth to tennis? By LOIS ELFMAN and JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor This Sunday, a plethora of preteens and teenagers will converge at the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows (Queens), New York, for Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day, in conjunction with the start of the U.S. Open Tennis tournament’s qualifying matches and Fan Week. The venue and event are named in honor of two of America’s greatest players and social pioneers: King, an unwavering advocate for women achieving equality and equity in sports, and Ashe, a civil and human rights activist who passed away from AIDS-related pneumonia in 1993, the only Black man to win Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, and the Australian Open, as well as three of the sport’s aptly named Majors, also titled Grand Slams, with the French Open the fourth. Many of the youth who attend the free annual Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day, which began the year of his death, are Black. Yet, it may be a fleeting experience, particularly for those from inner-city communities. While tennis is a globally popular sport and growing in the United States, according to the 2026 U.S. Tennis Participation Report, an independent study conducted by the Physical Activity Council published this past February provided empirical evidence that the numbers pertaining to youth are stagnant in urban communities of sizeable or majority Black populations. The report asserted that overall, there was a 1.6 million increase in tennis participation, overwhelmingly comprising women at 1.1 million, and an all-time high of 27.4 million people who played the sport in 2025. African Americans playing tennis in the United States increased by more than 450,000, a surge of 14%. However, despite the encouraging statistics put forth by the aforementioned study, relatively few Black youth were playing tennis during random visits to courts in the Bronx and Manhattan by Amsterdam News journalists in earlyand mid-August, including to Crotona Park and the famed Frederick Johnson Tennis Courts in Harlem, also known as “The Jungle.” Still, organizations such as the New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL), based in Long Island City, N.Y., have brought many Black youth into the tennis fold through various initiatives. “We have programs that encourage [Black

youth] to play and learn about the history of Black players in the sport,” Sachi Kurup, director of communications for NYJTL, told the AmNews on Monday. “We have activities and events at spaces such as the Cary Leeds Center, where we have current and retired professional players, players from HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), and coaches engage and interact with our youth.” The Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning, a 22-court facility in Crotona Park in the South Bronx, opened in 2015 as a public-private partnership and is the base of operations for NYJTL’s hands-on tennis development of its participants. While attracting inner-city youth to tennis can be a challenging endeavor, sustaining their interest is a much more exacting undertaking. “We try to be very creative in how we get our kids to explore [tennis] and build their passion for the sport,” said Kelsey Smalls, community school director of the NYJTL’s ACES Afterschool Program at the Eagle Academy for Young Men in the Bronx. Smalls, a longtime youth football coach on the middle, junior high, and high school levels, emphasized that within the five boroughs of New York City and urban communities across the country, basketball and football have magnetic pulls on aspiring athletes. “We have had kids in our programs that were playing tennis when the rackets seemed to be as big as they were,” Smalls said in jest to the AmNews. “But you could see that at 11-, 12 years old, they already showed great athletic potential. At that age, without a lot of lessons or prior exposure to tennis, they were really good — but they were also playing basketball and/or football, which most of their friends were playing. Eventually, they stopped playing tennis and focused on those sports. We encourage and embolden them to play all sports, but when they aren’t around older dudes that look like them that are playing tennis and consistently mentoring them in tennis, naturally they pursue sports that have more cultural appeal.” Smalls has coached several players who have gone on to play Division I football and basketball. One NYJTL alum, Malachi Smith, was a key member of the University of Connecticut’s men’s basketball squad that reached the NCAA men’s DI finals this past April, losing to Michigan in the championship game. “Basketball and football have an aura and swag that tennis can’t match. Kids can relate to LeBron James, Anthony Edwards, Lamar Jackson. Most can’t name the top Black tennis players, like Coco Gauff and Frances Tiafoe. I think it’s critical to get Black kids to start playing early, at four and five years old, to have a better chance to keep them playing long-term,” Smalls concluded. Conversely, some Black youth who grew up around tennis never pick up the sport

or drift away from it. “My mom was a very good player, growing up in Mali,” said Karamoko Tounkara, a rising senior at Eagle. “She still has some of her rackets and plays — not as much as she used to, but she still goes out to the courts. I never played a lot or took it seriously. Soccer is my game.” Traci Green, the Sheila Kelly Palandjian Head Coach for Harvard University’s women’s team, subscribes to Smalls’s theory of the need for role models. Women’s tennis role models are crucial in letting kids know they are welcome in the sport of tennis. Now entering her 20th season at Harvard, she is highly aware of her far-reaching platform. “I’ve always been someone who enjoys giving back and growing the game,” said Green, who is also president of the Black Women in Sport Foundation. “Trying to provide opportunities for folks who are interested in playing the sport that I love dearly … I do try to mentor as many folks as I can. That’s something I feel is super-important.” Venus and Serena Williams have undoubtedly had an impact on the sport and potential participants. On the scene for almost three decades, their presence has been decisive. Green said the fact that other Black pros have followed them shows that the sisters were not an anomaly. Kids taking up tennis currently look at today’s young professional players. “I do think we’re seeing more Black kids interested in tennis and seeing the sport as a place where they belong,” said Green. “Representation matters. When young players see folks like Coco [Gauff], [Frances] Tiafoe, Ben Shelton, and other Black players competing on the biggest stages, that definitely makes it feel more real, more possible. I see a lot of excitement with young players seeing pros who look like them on the large stages. They believe there is more of a pathway for them than there was in the past.” The Black Women in Sport Foundation has programming that provides opportunities for people to try what would be considered nontraditional sports, including tennis. While opportunities are growing, Green is honest that there are still people who think tennis isn’t for them. “Uplifting and growing the game and helping others stay in the game involves access, improving coaching, and taking a lot of the financial burden out of the game,” she said. “All of these things work in concert to grow the sport and help folks continue to play it.” The USTA Foundation works year-round to increase access to tennis. Last year, it launched the Community Impact Hub initiative, which is projected to reach more than 630,000 young people and families, implement new youth tennis programming in more than 570 schools, refurbish at least 160 tennis courts, and recruit more than 2,000 See story on next page

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

August 20, 2026 - August 26, 2026 • 7

Continued from previous page

new coaches in participating communities by the end of 2027. Some programs will use red balls — tennis balls used in beginner programs — that allow small courts to be set up in school gyms and operate year-round. NYJTL is among the 10 community-based organizations that are part of the USTA Foundation’s National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network. There are immersive, free USTA activations this month, including the U.S. Open Experience at Hudson Yards and the first-ever traveling U.S. Open Ice Cream Truck, which brought free ice cream and other U.S. Open surprises to public courts in each of the five boroughs. To ramp up enthusiasm for the U.S. Open and get people interested in tennis in a new, fun way, the U.S. Open’s YouTube channel is presenting a five-episode competition series, “Rally the Boroughs,” which began on August 15, with new episodes dropping each Saturday through September 12. It basically turned NYC into a tennis-themed playground as three teams of tennis enthusiasts race through all five boroughs, solving clues, taking on unique challenges, and even doing tennis challenges. Tennis-loving couple Ashley Cummings and Sean Cort represent Harlem. “I started playing as a child with my dad,” said Cummings, a registered nurse working for a healthcare tech company and doing per diem work in hospitals who is also creator of Natural ASH® body butter. Tennis was a recreational hobby for Cummings, but a few years ago, she became more serious and started working with a trainer, as well as playing consistently. Cort was also introduced to the sport by his father. He played a lot growing up in Brooklyn and Harlem, but at Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx, he switched to football because there was no tennis team. He played football through college, but his love of tennis remained. “With the birth of our son, Andrew, who’s 4, I’ve picked up tennis immensely,” said Cort, an entrepreneur (Belchez NYC) and creative strategist. “Andrew hits every day. We’re doing something tennis-related every single day. It rekindled my love for tennis. I’m so happy that Ashley also plays.” After hearing about a casting call for a competition show involving tennis, Cummings and Cort applied with a video that included their son, showing they are a tennis-loving family. Selected for the show, it was game on. While they cannot divulge details about the episodes, they do say they hope the show will inspire kids and adults to pick up a racket and give tennis a try. “Young Black children, Black families, will see us as parents taking the time together playing tennis, and how it helps the health of a family,” said Cummings. “Also, introducing the sport to our child at a young age helps his development along with school. I hope it creates a positive and fun outlook for somebody else to say, ‘Let me start playing tennis. It’s a total body workout. It’s great for my health and for my mind.’ You never know where it will take you.” Cort noted that “tennis is easily accessible. I want to be one of the many people that sing the praises of tennis and introduce tennis

early on to my son and his friends. People should know they don’t need to be at a country club. Tennis can’t be elitist; tennis cannot just be a white sport, because the lifeline of any sport needs diversity.” Growing up in Brooklyn, Howard University senior Imani Jean lived across the street from two tennis courts. Her tennis journey began at age 7 when her mother heard about an introductory opportunity run by the USTA. In her early years in the sport, she availed herself of various programs in the city, including NYJTL and the Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program. At 13, she began regularly traveling to Maryland to train at the Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC). Jean understands that she and her Howard teammates inspire kids to see themselves in the sport. “They see how much fun we have on the court,” she said. “My teammates and I are always high energy. Our matches can inspire youngsters to at least try tennis. Maybe even find a USTA free program.” Howard’s tennis players volunteer at events in the Washington, D.C., area and this week’s Arthur Ashe Kids Day. Associate head coach Zach Tobias said this event is an important experience for the student-athletes, enabling them to see their role in inspiring the next generation of young players. “We feel it’s a great inspiration for young people to see and be able to talk [about] what they want to be,” said Tobias. “It’s very rare that you see that level of representation and quite frankly, that matters for young people.”

At the upcoming HBCU National Tennis Championships (September 17–20 in Atlanta), there will be question-and-answer sessions. “We encourage our players to share their stories, as well as our stories as coaches in tennis,” Tobias said. “The kids and parents come up and say, ‘We’ve never seen a team that looks like you competing and playing at this level.’” Tobias has experience in working with programs that provide youth opportunities, including the Prince George’s

Tennis & Education Foundation (PRTEF). He managed PGTEF’s junior outreach program, which has introduced thousands of Prince George’s County youth to tennis through a partnership with the county’s public schools. “The legacy of those NJTLs, as well as the community tennis associations, has definitely been instrumental at the grassroots level [in] getting kids involved in tennis and even developing them into high-performance players,” said Tobias. “USTA is doing a great job with their USTA coaching platform, trying to expand the resources to different communities. The developmental pathways are in a great space right now.”

8 • August 20, 2026 - August 26, 2026

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

NABJ’s ‘Thumbs-down’ award sparks backlash from ESPN sportscaster Stephen A. Smith By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff This year’s National Association of Black Journalists 2026 Salute to Excellence Awards Gala was overshadowed after the organization presented its “Thumbs-down” Award to five recipients, most notably ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith. Many in the online space weren’t sure the NABJ made the right choices, as Smith publicly swore revenge. “This year I believe it is especially important to understand this award in a larger context, at a moment when journalism is facing growing political, economic, and institutional pressure,” said NABJ President Errin Haines at the awards ceremony on August 15. The Thumbs-down Award, in particular, is a portion of the event that “calls attention to an individual or organization for especially insensitive, racist, or stereotypical reporting, commentary, photography, or

cartoons about the Black community or for engaging in practices at odds with the goals” of NABJ. “Now look, I know the thumbsdown award can make people uncomfortable –– good,” said Haines. “Accountability is not supposed to be comfortable.” The night’s recipients were Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), who was scrutinized for limiting press freedom and dismantling DEI initiatives; CBS Television Network, which eliminated its race and culture unit disproportionately impacting journalists of color; President & CEO of WISHTV DuJuan McCoy has allegations against him about maltreatment of Black journalists; The Washington Post, which also laid off Black journalists as well as eliminated race and culture beats; and Smith, a veteran commentator who has been slammed for his disparaging remarks of prominent Black women

ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith (Matt Patterson/AP photo)

officials and fellow journalists. “The thumbs down award is not a new award,” said Haines in an interview with Capital B. “I know a lot of people are finding it now because of the headlines that we made with our announcement, but this is an award that we’ve given for years — trying to hold institutions and public figures accountable whenever their actions are harmful to Black journalists. That is the intent of the award. We don’t take it lightly when we decide to bestow these awards upon people. And it’s not about whether we personally like or dislike somebody.” Smith had a visceral reaction to being “blindsided” with the Thumbs-down award. Soon after the convention wrapped, he ran to his platform, social media, and outlets, like Fox News, to clap back at NABJ. He claims that he has had nothing but a “difference of opinion” with several women. He vowed to be even more adamant and bull-

headed in the future. “I think it’s utterly ridiculous; I was raised by five black women,” said Smith on Sean Hannity’s show. “I find it highly offensive that they would label me in this way, give me a thumbs down award specifically for disparaging black women. I want everybody out there to know, there’s no such thing. That did not happen. That is a flat-out lie. That never happened.” Haines, who was elected NABJ president in 2025, noted that Smith was involved in public spats with independent journalist Joy-Ann Reid, U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, former Vice President Kamala Harris, and former First Lady Michelle Obama. “Stephen A. Smith is somebody that speaks publicly and has an opinion that is valuable as a prominent voice in this country, but what does it mean when that voice and that platform are being used in a way that diminishes the

public voice and presence of Black women in our society?” asked Haines. “I thought it was appropriate to call this out, but also to extend an invitation to think about how we move differently going forward. I hope that he and I can have that conversation.” Part of the pushback online is that NABJ has not only worked with and benefitted from Smith’s Straight Shooter podcast in the past but also platformed equally controversial people, such as President Donald Trump at the NABJ convention in Chicago when he was a Republican candidate for office in 2024. Despite the controversy, during the NABJ gala, AmNews investigative reporter Shannon Chaffers picked up an award for her latest contribution to the “Beyond the Barrel of the Gun” series focusing on people impacted by gun violence: The Housing Barrier: Gun violence survivors struggle to find accessible housing.

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International

August 20, 2026 - August 26, 2026 • 9

News

Black Colombians call for aid after earthquake devastates large Afro-Colombian region of Chocó By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff More than a week after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck Colombia, Afro-Colombian aid groups are desperate for help. The earthquake struck the Chocó region near the city of San José del Palmar on Aug. 10 at 7:34 a.m. According to the U.N.’s ReliefWeb, the quake’s tremors caused damage throughout Chocó, a region with a majority Black and indigenous population, and was felt as far away as the capital city of Bogotá. It even caused vibrations in the neighboring countries of Venezuela, Panama, and Ecuador. Entire villages were flattened in Chocó, and aftershocks triggered landslides that have blocked roads into and out of the area, slowing rescue efforts and the delivery of food, medicine, and emergency supplies. Zulia Mena, a former mayor of Chocó’s capital city, Quibdó, told AmNews that damage was evident almost everywhere you looked. Mena is working with the Organización de Barrios Populares del Chocó (OBAPO) to bring help to earthquake victims. “Right now, today, August 15, we are in Futuro Dos in the northern zone [of Quibdó] with a mental health team and doctors supporting the community,” Mena said. “We are supporting the community by organizing community meals, holding mental health talks, and providing food packages.” OBAPO is also looking for donations of building materials and assistance for female-headed households who lost their homes. Historian Sergio Mosquera posted videos documenting the damage the earthquake caused at the Muntú-Bantú Foundation, the Afro-diasporic cultural and educational organization he founded in 2004. Mosquera said he created Muntú-Bantú because Colombia has the third-largest population of Afro-descendants in the Americas, “yet we didn’t have a place where our story was told. Because in the country’s museums our stories aren’t told; we’re excluded.” Over the years, he filled the space with art and sculptures from around the world and worked to make it a place of pride for Black people in Colombia and across Latin America. The center also has a special room called “Moleques en Palenquito.” “Moleques” refers to enslaved children and “palenque” means a place of freedom. In Moleques en Palenquito, instructors teach children — regardless of their ethnic background — to read and interpret the world through an Afro-diasporic lens, so they can see themselves in books and movies as beautiful and intelligent people.

Quibdó, Chocó residents view the rubble after the Aug. 10 earthquake. (OBAPO photo)

Muntú-Bantú’s entire four-story building sustained cracks because of the earthquake, but the third floor saw the most damage and was practically destroyed. “We are now in the process of restoring the pieces — first by rebuilding the structure. We’ve already started to … clear away the debris. We’ve begun rebuilding the facilities, and after that, we’ll curate the pieces that can be recovered — and those that I believe may have been lost. But anyway, we’re here to rise again like the bird, the phoenix.” Muntú-Bantú is open to contributions for the center’s upkeep, maintenance, and restoration. The foundation can accept both inkind contributions, like sculptures, and cash to help cover the costs of materials and labor. Black-led diaspora groups are also responding to the emergency in Colombia. Jarvis Houston and Alix Jean of Alphas in Colombia, a group of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. members living in Colombia, have organized a relief drive to connect U.S.-based donors with supplies headed for Cali and then Chocó. “Service does not stop at borders,” Houston said. “As Alpha men living in Colombia, we have a responsibility to stand with the communities we call home when they need us most. We are asking our brothers, members of the Divine Nine, friends, family, and supporters across the United States to help us turn that commitment into immediate action.” Houston said the group has already collected more than 200 supplies and hopes

to transport more than 500 emergency relief items to Chocó on Sept. 12. Volunteers from across Colombia are expected to gather in Cali, coordinate with local nonprofits, churches and community leaders, and help move supplies into Chocó. Requested items include first-aid kits, gauze, diapers, wipes, masks, air mattresses, flashlights, batteries, hygiene products, portable chargers, emergency blankets, sleeping mats, and water-purification supplies. Jean, who previously worked in earthquake relief in Haiti, said the relief work cannot stop with a single delivery. He said medically trained volunteers, including a retired Air Force medic and a pharmacist, are preparing to offer free services, while organizers are still trying to secure volunteer housing. “But it’s not just going to be giving out supplies, it’s also about rehabilitation and rebuilding.” Those who want to support the cause from the United States can attend the SOS Chocó fundraisers being organized by Afro-Latino Festival NYC. They have arranged two open-mic events to raise funds that “will directly support Afro-Colombian organizations doing vital work on the ground, including Casa Cultural El Chontaduro and Afro Cabellos.” “Before the earthquake, AfroLatino Festival NYC and Afro Resistance organized a Trans Delegation to Colombia, bringing together more than 20 Black trans producers, cultural programmers, artists, and

Scenes of the Aug. 10 earthquake impact in Cali. (Arbin Perez photo)

community leaders to facilitate workshops, educational programming, and cultural exchange at the Petronio Álvarez Festival,” Afro-Latino Festival NYC said in a statement. “When the festival was canceled in the aftermath of the earthquake, the impact was felt deeply across Cali and surrounding communities. Afro Resistance was already on the ground with members of the delegation, witnessing the urgent needs of communities directly. We are turning our presence and relationships into action.” The first SOS Chocó event was held at Mi Casita BK on Aug. 18, and the second will take place at Palenque Restaurant at 298 Graham Ave., in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, on Aug. 21. More fundraisers are already being scheduled. The recovery work in Chocó is expected to take years. So far, the Colombian government has been present, but mainly as an intermediary. Mosquera told the AmNews the government is mostly working “as a coordinator of aid, because right now what we’ve seen is national [nonprofit] and international aid that has arrived. People are very committed to helping, but as for a plan the government has or resources it’s investing in recovery, reconstruction or aid — no, it’s just administering the resources, and the effects of that haven’t been felt yet.” Local and Black diaspora organizers stress that solidarity is going to be crucial in helping Chocó residents recover from the effects of the Aug. 10 earthquake.

10 • August 20, 2026 - August 26, 2026

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Labor & Workplace

Chris Smalls brings labor memoir to Harlem as he takes his organizing work global By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff Chris Smalls says he did not hesitate when Harlem called. The co-founder and former president of the Amazon Labor Union, whose fight at Staten Island’s JFK8 warehouse made labor history, is scheduled to appear Aug. 22 at a Grassroots of Harlem citizenry book party at 369 Malcolm X Boulevard. The event is being billed by organizers as a multigenerational, educational extravaganza on a block in the heart of a corridor of Black-owned businesses. “When I got the email to be invited, I didn’t hesitate to respond,” Smalls said in an interview with the AmNews. Smalls says the invitation connects to the story told in his new memoir, “When the Revolution Comes: A Fight for the Future of the Working Class.” Penguin Random House, Smalls’s publisher, describes the book as an inside look at Smalls’s efforts to help establish the first Amazon union in the U.S. – it says the book is a rallying cry for workers. Smalls said the book took about four years to finish — around three years of writing and one year to get it ready for publication. He says it’s “a memoir” that also delves into his childhood, family background, early work experiences, and the chal-

lenges that made the Amazon struggle resonate with him. “It’s more on the autobiography side, because I start from my early childhood, with the exception of the prologue, which is where it starts like at a warehouse in the beginning of the book, but then it jumps back to my early childhood days,” Smalls said. “It just gives you more of a personal insight into who I am as a person.” Smalls became a national labor figure after Amazon fired him following a 2020 walkout over COVID-era safety concerns. He and fellow workers went on to organize the Amazon Labor Union, which won a landmark election at JFK8 in 2022. Smalls was named to Time’s 100 Most Influential People list in 2022 alongside fellow organizer Derrick Palmer. “I think this book, even though… I’m in my 30s, will still resonate with many people who have gone through similar trials and tribulations I went through,” he said, citing his experiences entering the workforce at 16, holding “odd jobs,” being married and divorced, raising children, being fired, and then organizing. “I think this book will remind folks of what happened and also motivate people to organize in their own workplace.” Smalls’s book tells the story of what it takes to keep working

Book cover for Chris Smalls’ new memoir, “When the Revolution Comes.” (Penguin Random House photo)

as an organizer even after news headlines and publicity about your work have changed. He says he has most recently been doing book events, film screenings, and school visits, and attending international worker meetings and exchanges with Amazon employees outside the U.S. Though he no longer holds an official union position, he still considers organizing his central calling. “I don’t have an official position within my union, but I’ve never really

needed that,” Smalls said. “I just don’t believe in having a title. I believe in doing the work.” Smalls’ work now, he said, has taken him to more than 45 countries, including Cuba, parts of Europe and the Nordics, the Middle East, Brazil, Mexico, and other parts of the Global South. “My travels are also planting seeds and building international solidarity,” he said. “A lot of these trips are now more about what we’re going to do next. Like, how do we keep the message going, and also, you know, how do we fight back against the oppressors who are oppressing us all around the world?” Smalls pointed to the U.S.’s weak union participation — saying private-sector membership is in the single digits — and contrasted it with countries where organized labor still has a greater reach. Federal labor data put U.S. union membership at 10% in 2025, with 5.9% of private-sector workers and 32.9% of public-sector workers belonging to unions. In countries like Sweden, estimates are that union density is at about 66% to 69%. He also noted that the U.S. labor movement still has a diversity problem in leadership and structure, even though Black and Brown workers tend to be their main workers. “Some of these unions are still following that top-down tradi-

tion where they have a white male figure as the president, or they have an executive board that’s not really diverse,” he said. “And I think that’s a really big problem because that doesn’t resonate with the rank-and-file members, and we all know that most essential workers in the U.S. are Black and Brown. “I’m still trying to figure out how we close that bridge and bring more people of color into the labor space, but also not just bring them in, but give them positions of power so that they can organize in their own communities,” he said. Smalls wants to use events like this week’s visit to Harlem to do some of that work. “Instead of inviting police officers and firefighters on career day, now they’re inviting labor leaders like myself and my other colleagues, who are Black men,” Smalls said. “We’re now able to reach these younger kids at a younger age. And I think that’s really, really important because I wish at that age I had somebody who looked like me come into the classroom and talk to people about labor.” Chris Smalls is scheduled to appear Aug. 22 at 3 p.m. at the Grassroots of Harlem citizenry book party at 369 Malcolm X Boulevard. For more information, call 347-392-6036 or email whitesamuel086@gmail.com.

Workers encouraged as NYC elected officials show growing support for Delivery Protection Act By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff Amazon workers, Teamsters, labor supporters and City Council members rallied outside City Hall last week to demand a vote on the Delivery Protection Act. Protesters said New York City needs to stop allowing large delivery companies to profit from workers who wear their uniforms while still claiming these workers do not directly work for them. The legislation, sponsored by Council Member Tiffany Cabán, would allow some last-mile warehouses to be licensed by the De-

partment of Consumer and Worker Protection. It would also set safety and training rules and require companies to directly employ workers who do major delivery and warehouse work. Supporters say the bill would close what they call Amazon’s subcontracting loophole. Opponents — including Amazon, delivery service providers, logistics firms and business groups — say the new rules could drive up costs, disrupt thousands of jobs and threaten small delivery businesses. But workers at the rally, like José Huerta, had a different take. Huerta said he has worked five years at

Amazon’s DBK1 facility in Woodside, Queens. He described days when drivers are blamed for delays caused by broken equipment. “Sometimes we have to work a little longer because we don’t always have the necessary tools to make our deliveries,” Huerta said. “We don’t…have the necessary tools to make our deliveries, like a forklift — or sometimes the phones they give us to work with don’t work; I mean, the battery runs out quickly, and we have to keep calling the dispatcher to send us another phone.” He said that sometimes dispatchers also are slow in replacing the phones and workers are sub-

ject to discipline for taking too long on deliveries. Latrice Johnson, a former Amazon delivery driver who said she was laid off with more than 100 other drivers after Amazon got rid of a contractor’s agreement, said the daily work at the company often meant unsafe vans, broken equipment and rising package loads. “Poor safety, driving vans that are broken, the equipment that’s given to us to work with sometimes it’s broken,” Johnson said. “So, for example, hand trucks. I was given a hand truck that the metal was ripped off there. They still gave it to me to work with. I could have easily

cut myself using that.” Johnson said the public often sees only the convenience of fast delivery, not the labor behind it. “Like me, I make sure I come back to zero packages,” she said. “Not for the company, but for the families out there that’s just waiting on diaper deliveries, kids running up to me with smiles, waiting for Amazon, because they’re probably waiting for a birthday gift or something they ordered. They’re happy to see me coming.” Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s recent See DELIVERY PROTEACTION ACT on page 22

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August 20, 2026 - August 26, 2026 • 11

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12 • August 20, 2026 - August 26, 2026

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Opinion Deciding between abolishing a harmful system or reforming it

EDITORIAL

If there is wiggle room between reform and abolishment, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries are not interested in seeking it. During an appearance on “Meet the Press” last Sunday, Jeffries made his opposition to Medicare for All emphatically clear, thereby negating the legislation proposed by the Democratic Socialists of America. In effect, he walked back the single-payer health initiative he once sponsored, indicating that Medicare for All is “not legislation that I currently am sponsoring or that I support.” Jeffries also took exception to the call to abolish ICE, insisting that Democrats were more interested in “dramatically reforming” the agency. Interestingly, DNC members had backed a resolution a day before to dissolve ICE. We are now back to our premise about the possibility of finding a reasonable solution between those who champion reform and those who demand abolishment of particularly burning issues. The same problem has been a push-and-pull among differing groups about defunding the police. We recall the late Dr. Johanna Fernández, who declared that it was not possible to reform the police. However, have the opposing parties really spent time trying to find room for agreement or compromise on the gap that separates them on the question? Some aspects of transformative justice and the plans put forth by Jennifer Jones Austin, the newly appointed chair of the city’s Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), may provide some solutions to fixing a broken police system rather than completely destroying it. In that same vein, some thought must also be given to the idea of a stronger, more robust Affordable Care Act that might appease those demanding Medicare for All. As can be seen, we have no answer to this longstanding divide between abolishing a system or reforming it when it comes to protecting, insuring, or imprisoning people, but we would like to see more serious and sustained discussions of these matters.

Elinor R. Tatum: Publisher Member

Alliance for Audited Media

and Editor in Chief

Madison Gray: Executive & Investigative Editor Kristin Fayne-Mulroy: Managing Editor Cyril Josh Barker: Digital Editor Damaso Reyes: Editor at Large Siobhan "Sam" Bennett: Chief Revenue Officer and Head of Advertising

Wilbert A. Tatum (1984-2009): Chairman of the Board, CEO and Publisher Emeritus

As Haitian immigrants lose TPS status, damage extends beyond Haitians By SARAH* Earlier this summer, the Supreme Court allowed the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians whose home countries have been torn apart by violence and instability, fueled in part by harmful U.S. foreign policy. In Haiti, as the violence and unrest escalated, we kept asking ourselves, “What do we do now?” This is the same question we are asking ourselves now here in the United States. When I first heard the news of the Supreme Court ruling in favor of the Trump administration, I felt numb and indifferent, but I soon realized that if I associate my self-worth with a piece of paper, then I am doing exactly what the government and media want me to believe: that I am somehow less human because of my status. For families like mine, our survival is at stake. New York City, where I live, has the second-largest Haitian immigration population in the country, with a reported 163,000 immigrants and refugees living here, many in Brooklyn’s Little Haiti. Looking around my city and neighborhood, I see the silent look of fear painted on so many faces, and I wonder if they are as worried as I am. A few years ago, my father was kidnapped in Haiti. After paying a ransom to free him, my family poured every last cent of their savings into getting my parents and me out of Haiti. It was unsafe for us to stay. We arrived in the United States at 11 p.m. on a night I will never forget — exhausted, carrying everything we owned, and feeling something like peace for the first time in years. Haiti’s TPS allowed my parents to work and make a living. They paid the bills and the mortgage, and gave me the chance to study and dream of a future. Now, just like that, the Supreme Court ruled against our safety and our right to continue to live and work in the place that we’ve come to consider as our home. My parents, much like other TPS holders, are key contributors to a range of important industries, such as healthcare, construction, hospitality, automotive, meatpacking, and large retailers like Amazon. Haitian TPS holders contribute approximately $5.8 billion to the U.S. economy annually and pay $1.5 billion in taxes. Many of these sectors are likely to face

(Pexels/Life Matters photo)

substantial labor shortages without the contributions of TPS holders. My parents poured their blood, sweat, and tears into giving me every opportunity. They were able to build a stable life, which in turn empowered me to become an engineering student at just 16 years old. Yet, for Haitians seeking safety in the United States, the Trump administration has methodically closed every door. It terminated the Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan (CHNV) Parole Program; deactivated the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) One app; and shut down the Haitian Family Reunification Parole Program. The administration subsequently named Haiti as one of 75 countries placed on a visa ban list. One by one, the legal pathways that allowed Haitians to come to — or remain in — this country have been eliminated. As Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees documented in their December 2025 report, A Critical Hour for Haitian Immigrant Justice, TPS is not simply a preference for hundreds of thousands of people. It is the last protection standing. We must urge lawmakers to extend TPS for Haitians through Senate Bill 4814 and guarantee lasting protections for Haitians and other vulnerable immigrant communities through the passage of bills like the American Dream and Promise Act. This administration can try to suppress our dreams and endanger our lives, but our ancestor Toussaint L’Ouverture said it best: “Our roots are numerous and deep, and we will spring up again.” No matter what happens, I will do ev-

erything I can to chart a different, more humane world for myself, my family, and everyone who continues to be dehumanized. I urge Congress to uphold their democratic duty and protect our constitutional right to stay. Above all, I believe in people power, and in the power of young people. I encourage all my peers to get involved and fight the wave of unjust policies, including the fight to extend TPS protections. We must remember that we are all human. —————————————————— Here are some ways that you can join us in supporting Haitian and all TPS holders. Call your senators or email them using Faith in Action’s email-to-legislator page to urge them to vote yes on S. 4814 to extend TPS for Haitians until 2029. Call your U.S. House Representatives and demand that they sign the discharge petition and support the Dream and Promise Act (H.R. 1589), which would provide a dedicated pathway to citizenship for multiple vulnerable and overlapping groups: Dreamers — young people who came to the U.S. before 18 years of age, and TPS and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) holders from various countries. Get involved with court accompaniment programs, mutual aid networks, and your local rapid response networks in support and defense of immigrant communities in your neighborhood.

Sarah* is a Haitian immigrant engineering student living in NYC. AmNews editors agreed to allow her to write under a pseudonym to protect her identity.

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS O P I N I O N

Trump’s squeeze on Cuba is causing health disparities there and in U.S. By NICHOLAS GREVEN For more than 30 years, the U.S. blockade against Cuba has been devastating the health of the island’s population. The Trump Administration’s “maximum pressure” strategy, intended to force submission to domination by the elites and U.S. corporations who fled Cuba after the defeat of the Batista dictatorship, has created a humanitarian emergency by cutting the Cuban government off from fuel imports. The blockade has always been genocidal, by preventing Cuba from purchasing essential supplies, but the Trump/Rubio maximum pressure campaign is a new level. It has placed the medically vulnerable in danger by nearly destroying the Cuban health system that was once the envy of the world. Infant mortality in Cuba, lower than in the U.S. since the Revolution, has skyrocketed 148% because of the maximum pressure campaign, from 4.0 to 9.9 deaths per 1,000 live births, between 2018 and 2025. The blockade prevents the Cuban government from trading with most of the world and from accessing international credit markets or having payments processed by international financial institutions. In effect, the Cuban government is starved of resources. This is most harmful for Cubans without private resources; generally Afro Cubans. Those with European ancestry are more likely to have extended family in

the U.S. or Europe sending remittances or investing in Cuba. By strangling the government, the blockade increases racial disparities in Cuba. The blockade also prevents U.S. citizens from accessing life-saving Cuban medical innovations that would especially benefit Black Americans. While the U.S. faces a nurse shortage and health disparities plague Black communities, solutions lie nearby, in a model of preventive healthcare, scientific innovation, and medical cooperation that Washington has systematically sabotaged. The blockade creates a health crisis in Cuba and prevents U.S. from accessing cheap, effective Cuban treatments, such as NeuroEPO, an inexpensive nasal spray that causes significant cognitive improvement in Alzheimer’s trial participants; CIMAvaxEGF, a therapeutic medicine for lung cancer; and Heberprot-P, a treatment that has been shown to reduce diabetic amputation risk by more than 70%. These treatments are unavailable because of U.S. hostility toward Cuba. U.S. companies cannot secure exclusive rights to Cuban-patented therapies, so the cost of F.D.A. approval is too high. Beyond that, U.S. regulations designed to starve Cuba’s economy make it illegal for U.S. citizens to visit Cuba for medical tourism. For New Yorkers, this crisis has direct resonance. The Amsterdam News has documented solidarity delegations traveling to

Cuba, reflecting concern in New York’s Black communities. The Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM) in Cuba has trained students from around the world, including underserved U.S. communities, with a mission to serve those most in need but U.S. policy blocks these pathways. Cuba characterizes the blockade as illegal collective punishment. The international community agrees and condemns the blockade. In 2025, for the 33rd consecutive year, the UN General Assembly voted 165 to 7 to demand an end to the embargo. Maximum pressure has failed. After months of a fuel blockade and years of pressure, Cuba stands firm. Cuba will not buckle under U.S. pressure nor will the impending uprising the blockade intends to provoke prevail. Invasion is a similarly doomed approach. It is time to end hostility, embrace cooperation, and allow Cuban innovations to solve health crises. Solidarity, science, and international law are the way forward. If your community is affected by health problems Cuban medicine has solved, you are harmed by the blockade. Contact us at 347-461-3566 or commonsenseoncuba@gmail.com. Nicholas Greven has a master’s degree in US and Latin American history, and is the Alzheimer’s Campaign Coordinator for Americans for Common Sense on Cuba.

Dr. Jason Arday, a remarkable life cut short in midst of dubious accusations By HERB BOYD Dr. Jason Arday, a British scholar, sociologist, and author, was found dead on August 4 in his London home amid a swirl of plagiarism accusations and other allegations. To date, there have been no circumstances disclosed surrounding his death, nor has any official cause of death been announced. A statement from his family claimed that “Jason was subjected to a campaign of sustained abuse for more than three years since he accepted the role of professor at Cambridge University by those who would leave no stone unturned in their quest to undermine him,” according to The Guardian. The 41-year-old academic was born in the United Kingdom to a family that immigrated from Ghana. In 2023, he became the youngest Black faculty member in Cambridge University’s 1,000-year history, but his ascension to the position came with a painful personal cost. “I have continued to face harassment and persecution as the subject of targeted campaigns driven by racial animus,”

he wrote in his memoir “Great and Unfortunate Things.” “There have been days when I can only describe the experience as traumatizing. It’s hard for people to begin to even comprehend or imagine the toll this can take on a person.” I have been following this story since its inception, and more intently after learning of the allegations against former Tufts University associate professor Kerri Greenidge for her book “The Grimkes: The Legacy of Slavery in an American Family.” On both sides of the Atlantic, it seems, Black scholars are being assailed, and the death of Arday brings the situation to a tragic full circle. Arday had overcome a multitude of maladies, including autism or global developmental delay, epilepsy that resulted from a savage beating from a gang of white thugs, and a brain tumor. As a child, he was diagnosed with autism and dyslexia, which severely limited his learning capability, so much so that he didn’t speak until he was nearly 12 and didn’t learn to read and write until he was 18 years old. Several doctors said he would never be

more than a “vegetable,” but his mother, whom he called “Giff,” challenged those conclusions. Throughout his early childhood and teen years, she provided a veritable textbook of innovative remedies and prayers that made it possible for him to become a renowned scholar. Of the countless articles about Arday’s dilemma, his mother, his wife, and several other women, who came to his aid personally and academically, are never mentioned. Fortunately, his memoir delves into the roles they played as he climbed the ladder to success, altering the gloomy trajectory predicted by experts. I was surprised to learn that his editor was Dawn Davis, who was my editor when she worked at the Amistad imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, and gave me the kind of assistance that Arday cites as indispensable to his book. And his co-author, Eve Claxton, should not be ignored. In the book’s epilogue, Arday mused about his life and his achievements, “I still can’t explain it all,” he wrote. “But I hope this book goes some way to describing the long and winding distance traveled.”

August 20, 2026 - August 26, 2026 • 13

Summer’s ending soon — how will you send it off? CHRISTINA

GREER PH.D. Can you believe summer is almost over? I know NYC public schools don’t start for another few weeks, but I head back into the classroom next week and it’s time to dust the sand off my feet and get focused. As summer comes to a close, there is still time to have a little summer fun. If you didn’t make time to head out to one of New York’s many beaches, there is still time. I didn’t make it to a NYC beach yet this summer, but I must. There is nothing like putting your feet in the sand that first time and enjoying the slight breeze that comes off the water, sharing space with fellow New Yorkers, reveling in the fact that most of us live on an island. Only the Bronx is attached to mainland America, so the vast majority of us are island folk. I love thinking of my identity as a New Yorker who is an island girl. We may not have palm trees, but we have sun, sand, birds, good food, and so much more. I can even get a fresh-cut coconut in my neighborhood to make my experience complete. I did not read much this summer and I need to rectify that as well. There are so many good novels out there, just waiting to be opened. I’ll never forget what Sidik Fofana, author of “Stories from the Tenants Downstairs,”

once said as he accepted his Gotham Book Prize award in 2023. He thanked everyone for opening his book and remarked about how the resting place of a book is closed, almost uninviting, and he appreciated people taking the time to open and explore. I have never forgotten that declaration of gratitude, and I think of it each time I open a new book. It is my hope to read the new-ish novel “Kin” by Tayari Jones before the summer comes to a close. How will you spend the waning days of summer? I hope some folks will find time to rest before the school year begins, and will make it a priority to visit a museum, read something for pleasure, or explore a park you’ve never visited. I am going to make a list of things I would like to do and see in the next few weeks. We live in a remarkable city and I should take advantage of it. Here’s to a productive and relaxing end of summer. Christina Greer, PhD, is a professor at Fordham University; author of the books “How to Build a Democracy: From Fannie Lou Hamer and Barbara Jordan to Stacey Abrams” and “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream”; and cohost of the podcast FAQ-NYC.

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THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Caribbean Update U.S. refuses to pay tiny Antigua after losing case over internet gaming By BERT WILKINSON, Special to the Amnews Tiny Antigua’s luck with successive American administrations continues to be a source of concern as the Trump government is just the latest to refuse to pay the country after losing an embarrassing decades-old battle over internet gaming. Back in 2023, the World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled that the U.S. must pay the federation with Barbuda $21 million a year in a landmark ruling that had much to do with the U.S. forcing American-owned internet gaming companies operating out of Antigua to close down, putting hundreds of workers on the breadline. After it lost the “David vs. Goliath” case, the WTO ruled that the U.S.’s unilateral shutdown of the federation’s online gaming industry was illegal in terms of inter-

national trade agreements, so it awarded the country the money as compensation for the loss of income, taxes, and jobs, among other things. Even back then, U.S. negotiators and government officials had bluntly told local officials that Washington would never obey the ruling and would not honor its obligation, especially if it lost the case. The debt has now ballooned to nearly $400 million and, despite pleas from Antiguan authorities, the situation remains unchanged because U.S. officials regard the issue as closed and dead. A few months ago, Antiguan officials expressed fears that the political generation dealing with the case would most likely die out with the case slotted in the unresolved basket. “It is a classic case of ‘wrong and strong’ and ‘might is right.’ We have always thought that US$21 million

per year in penalties was too low,” said the local Observer newspaper. “Beyond the fact that we will likely never see that payment, the annual award is a mere fraction of what was taken from us.” The WTO had given the country the right to suspend copyright obligations and payments to American behemoths like Disney as an alternative payment system, but little or no action has ever been pursued by the federation. The twin island state in the Eastern Caribbean has been in the news recently because the U.S. has again appeared to target it quite unfairly through a series of policy shifts in recent months. Late last year, the State Department imposed tough tourist visitor restrictions on Antigua’s citizens, along with those of its neighbor, Dominica. Then, just a few weeks ago, the department again announced that Antiguan and

Barbudan citizens must lodge a refundable visa application bond of up to $20,000 to apply to travel to the U.S. Additional burdens include locals having to travel to the sub-regional U.S. mission in Barbados and rent hotels. Most are now being rejected even after coming up with the bond, funding air fares, hotels, and other expenses only to be turned away. Top officials like Prime Minister Gaston Browne have accused the U.S. of rank bullyism, especially because of the latest pressure Washington is applying to force the country to accept up to 120 non-national deportees who are being kicked out of the U.S.. The cabinet has pushed back against this, saying it will not accept more than 10 a year. The visa restrictions have been imposed in the middle of the negotiations over deportees, and Brown has wasted no time in drawing a link between the

visa fiasco and refusal to take 120 strangers. “Stand firm against the evil, discriminatory, and bullying practices of the powerful. Do not fear. Do not despair. Soldier on in optimism for a brighter future,” he said recently as the bond issue made the news. “Do not worry, my dear people. Do not fear. We are covered by God’s almighty hand. The challenges that are meant to break us will certainly make us stronger.” As the low-grade tensions continue to linger, word is emerging that the country is also being punished because the cabinet had refused last year to entertain requests from the U.S. to allow the U.S. military to set up equipment as it was preparing for action against Venezuela and its now captured President Nicolas Maduro. Grenada has also done likewise and has also found itself on the mandatory bond list, officials say.

Remember Project 2025? Look at America’s immigration system 19 months in FELICIA PERSAUD

IMMIGRATION KORNER During the 2024 presidential campaign, Americans were repeatedly warned about Project 2025, the controversial conservative blueprint for a second Donald Trump presidency. This was as Trump distanced himself from the Heritage Foundationled project, insisting he had nothing to do with it. But perhaps it is time to pull that document off the proverbial shelf and read it again. Because 19 months into Trump’s second presidency, when it comes to immigration, much of what once sounded like a hardline conservative wish list now increasingly resembles the Trump administration’s checklist: 1. Mass deportation? Check. 2. Expanded immigration detention? Check. 3. Ending of Temporary Protected Status? Check.

4. Asylum restricted especially to Black and Brown people? Check. 5. Legal immigration pathways tightened? Check. 6. Immigration enforcement expanded deep into American communities? Check. 7. Birthright citizenship rollback? Check. 8. Citizenship denaturalization? Check. In August 2024, months before the presidential election, the nonpartisan American Immigration Council examined Project 2025’s immigration proposals and described them as a detailed plan to restrict legal immigration while laying the foundation for potential mass deportation. Perhaps most tellingly, the Council wrote that Project 2025 could be understood as an attempt to ensure a second Trump administration could pick up where the first one left off — “without the learning curve.” Now, 19 months after Trump returned to the White House, that observation seems remarkably pre-

scient. Project 2025 proposed dramatically expanding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention capacity, including seeking congressional funding for as many as 100,000 detention beds. It called for intensified interior immigration enforcement, greater use of ICE personnel for deportation operations, and penalties against countries refusing to accept deportees. And here we are now! The Trump administration said late last year that more than 600,000 non-citizens had been removed. It has also claimed enormous numbers of immigrants have left voluntarily or “self-deported,” although independent analysts caution that limited government data and changing definitions make comparison and verification difficult. Meanwhile, immigration detention has exploded. ICE holds approximately 65,765 immigrants in detention centers across the United States, according to tracking data compiled by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), as of July

2026. And despite the administration’s repeated rhetoric about targeting the “worst of the worst,” the data tells a more complicated story. According to TRAC data, approximately 70 percent of those in ICE detention have no criminal convictions, even as some three dozen have died in custody to date. Project 2025 also went far beyond deporting undocumented immigrants. The American Immigration Council warned in 2024 that virtually every major avenue of legal immigration or humanitarian protection faced restrictions under the blueprint. • Humanitarian parole expansions? Project 2025 wanted them gone. • Refugee admissions? Reduced. • Temporary Protected Status? The document called broadly for stripping protections. • Student visas? Greater scrutiny. • Family immigration? Reduced. • H-1B, H-2A and H-2B em-

ployment visas? Restricted or ultimately eliminated in some cases. Even T and U visas, which protect certain victims of trafficking, domestic violence and other crimes who assist law enforcement, faced proposed eligibility restrictions. Now look around. The Trump administration has moved aggressively against TPS designations, humanitarian parole programs and refugee protections while expanding expedited removal and pursuing thirdcountry deportations. Some 350,000 Haitians have been stripped of TPS protection and could be deported to a country the U.S. itself warns Americans not to travel to. The immigration courts are also changing. Mass hearings involving dozens — sometimes more than 100 — immigrants at once are being used to move cases through overwhelmed dockets. New immigration judges are being hired as the administration seeks faster adjudication and removal. See IMMIGRATION KORNER on page 29

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

August 20, 2026 - August 26, 2026 • 15

Arts & Entertainment

Harlem Book Fair returns, featuring live music, book readings, and panel discussions By MATTHEW ALLEN Special to the AmNews The Harlem Book Fair is set to take place at the Adam Clayton Powell State Office Building Plaza on Saturday, Aug. 29, for its 27th year. The annual literary event, which will celebrate the centennial of the Harlem Renaissance, will be a festive showcase of writers, panel discussions, and live music. More than 20 authors will display their work for the public on the Outdoor World Stage outside of the State Office Building. Hosted by Bob McNeil, the event will feature each writer allotted 10 minutes to showcase their work, starting at 10 a.m. and continuing until 6 p.m. The Outdoor World Stage will have nonfiction works from authors like Biodun Abudu, Eric Kellum, and Tanesha CameronCole. There will be self-help book authors on hand as well with their newest works, including Courtenay Lapovsky and Khadijah Butler, and fiction writers such as Margaret Adetimehin, Judy Ambers, and Karlene Joseph. Deirdre McEachern & Signature

Live! are slated to perform between the afternoon author segments. The Baltimore band specializes in classic R&B and soul music from the 1950s to today, as well as some dynamic versions of Top 40 hits. While attendees get introduced to some new books, the Book Fair will also host author readings in the State Building, focusing on women’s health and self-health in the morning. Kameelah Phillips will kick things off with a reading of an excerpt from her Women’s Health book, “The Empowered Hysterectomy: Your Complete Handbook to Diagnosis, Decision, and Treatment.” The afternoon is set to feature readings of nonfiction, fiction, and sci-fi literature, including a brief reading from Sara Lobman’s “Cuba and the Independence War in Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde.” The end of the day will be capped by readings from children’s books. Woven in with the numerous readings will be four informative panel discussions: “I Am Well Woman: Learning How to Heal When You Must Endure”; “The Art of Adaptation: The Journey from Novel to Location to Film”; “Plun-

Max Rodriguez, founder of Harlem Book Fair. (Photo courtesy of Max Rodriguez’s personal collection)

der, Promise, and Prosperity: A ting Deals Done: Financial ExcelConversation About Institutions, lence, Entrepreneurship, & the Families, Financial Education, American Dream at 250.” and Economic Justice”; and “GetThe Harlem Book Fair, found-

ed by Max Rodriguez, will be sponsored by the Bank of America. For more info, visit harlembookfair.com.

(Image via www.harlembookfair.com)

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Cuba’s Gloria Rolando is making a film about the Buffalo Soldiers. She needs our help By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff Filmmaker Gloria Rolando is working on a new documentaryfiction project, “Mi Guerra (My War),” that looks at the role Black U.S. soldiers — once known as Buffalo Soldiers — played in Cuba during the 1898 war for independence from Spain. “Mi Guerra” won’t just feature recreations of battle scenes, Rolando said; it will use dramatizations, archival photographs, newspapers, music, voiceover, and footage shot at historic sites in Cuba to evoke the memory of Black U.S. soldiers who fought on Cuban soil. “It’s going to be a mix — that’s why it’s documentary-fiction. Throughout the research process, the team worked at the Cuban National Library’s archives, compiling documents and photos from

that era — which also exist here in Cuba — as well as from publications and periodicals. Our actors are sort of representing the voices of those times and will be reminiscing. And the texts will be read aloud on screen. “It’s a challenge, it’s a challenge to try to tell this story,” she concedes: “It’s a project with very, very, very few resources. How can academic institutions, cultural organizations, or the international community help? Well, we’re trying to find a way to receive funds to welcome help.” Gloria Rolando has spent over 40 years telling stories about Black communities. Based in Havana, she is a director, screenwriter, and the founder of the independent film group, Imágenes del Caribe. Some of her past works include “Oggún: An Eternal Presence,” “My Footsteps in Baraguá,” Gloria Rolando on the film set for her Buffalo Soldiers film. (Gloria Rolando photos)

Gloria Rolando poses with actors in her Buffalo Soldiers film, “Mi Guerra.”

“Eyes Of The Rainbow: a documentary film with Assata Shakur,” “1912: Breaking the Silence,” and “Hermanas de Corazón” films that have traced Yoruba spirituality, Anglophone Caribbean migration, Assata Shakur’s life in Cuba, the 1912 massacre of thousands of the Black Cubans who had created the Independent Party of Color, and the Black nuns from Baltimore whose schools educated generations of Cuban girls. She wants “Mi Guerra” to be a film that shows the Buffalo Soldiers’ role in Cuba as part of a broader Black internationalist tradition — spanning both sides of the Florida Straits. Filming is already underway, and Rolando is looking for support to help finish the film. She said the fiction portion, filmed with actors on a set meant to suggest a Southern cabin, is complete. Information about the period was drawn from African American newspapers, memoirs, and other historical sources. Now, her production team needs to travel from Havana to Eastern Cuba to film the original war sites and gather images from provincial archives, churches, and communities. Rolando’s team needs to be able to pay for transportation, fuel, hard drives, and post-production costs, including editing, music, sound, subtitles, and record-

ed narration. They are currently looking to raise $5,000 for fuel so the crew can reach Las Guásimas, El Caney, San Juan Hill, and other locations in the former Oriente province. “Everyone knows the problems in Cuba today,” Rolando told the AmNews. “We have a very critical situation with fuel, with petroleum. To move through the areas where the war took place, we need transportation with gasoline, with diesel, and that is extremely expensive.” Rolando says that when she researched her film “1912: Breaking the Silence,” she came across references to the Buffalo Soldiers. “Why? Because, well, to tell the story of how Black Cubans were part of the Liberation Army, we had to tell about the American presence in the War of ’98, which included Black soldiers. I think that was the first time I came into contact with that History. … Why did these soldiers want to come to Cuba? What was their motivation? What happened to them during the war? What about their mobilization? And also, after they returned, what happened to them? Were they recognized?”

ments in the Regular Army. They formed the 9th and 10th Cavalry and the 24th and 25th Infantry, and served on the U.S. Western frontier, protecting mail routes and infrastructure. In 1898, after the USS Maine exploded in Havana harbor and the United States declared war on Spain, nearly 3,000 Black regulars were sent to Cuba. The Buffalo Soldiers fought under intense fire in major battles at Las Guásimas, El Caney, and San Juan Heights near Santiago de Cuba. They helped secure the U.S. victory in Cuba. Rolando sees “Mi Guerra” as a story of Afro-Cuban and African American connection, of Black people seeing one another across empire, language, and geography. “It is not only important to tell a story of the past,” she said, “but also to tell a story of the present and, why not, also a story of the future.” Rolando hopes “Mi Guerra” will circulate in universities, museums, festivals, theaters, and cultural organizations that promote African American studies, Cuba, and the African diaspora. “What we are doing is a tribute to that history of the past written by our In the war for America ancestors,” she said. “It deserves The Buffalo Soldiers came to- to be continued and respected.” gether in 1866: after Black men To contact Gloria Rolando and fought in the Civil War, Congress Imágenes del Caribe, email her at segregated them into Black regi- gloriavictoriarolando@gmail.com.

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August 20, 2026 - August 26, 2026 • 17

AmNews jazz columnist Ron Scott honored at American Book Awards By JASON PONTEROTTO Special to the AmNews Amsterdam News jazz columnist Ronald E. Scott will be honored with the Walter and Lilian Lowenfels Award for Criticism at the 47th annual American Book Awards in Berkeley, California. Scott writes the column titled “Jazz Notes” each week, highlighting some of the top artists and events happening in the world of jazz, and has been a jazz writer for the paper for nearly 30 years. The ceremony is presented each year by the Before Columbus Foundation, which was founded by writer Ishmael Reed, someone Scott credits as one of his mentors and inspiration. Scott himself is a frequent presenter at the Jazz Hero Awards, and is now being celebrated after a long career of giving voice to musicians. “Wow, am I really worthy of such an award?” Scott said, asking himself when reflecting on the award. “I write because I love writing.” The ceremony will take place on September 26 at UC Berkeley campus. Scott is one of 20 honorees, including author Matt Shipp for his book “Black Mystery School Pianists and Other Writings,” and Stephen Colbert for his activism in anti-censorship. Scott says it is a special language that musicians use to convey and highlight the issues of the world through their music, which is the tradition of jazz. For his part, he uses his writing as a way to verbalize and articulate those messages and deeper meaning, connecting to topics like the ills of racism and poverty. “I try to put the reality of life into the music, because that’s what the musicians are doing,” Scott said. “Musicians are putting into music, sound, and artistic improvisation, and what they are experiencing every day in the world.” Scott has been into jazz since high school, and it was later on in his career, in the late 1980s and 1990s, that he began writing on the topic. He first started writing seriously while he was a publicist for artists, with the help of friends like La’Verne Perry-Kennedy, who ran media relations with Sony Records for several years. He credits figures including Amiri Baraka, Stanley Crouch, Clarence Atkins, Peter Bailey, Don Thomas, Marie Moore, Fred Murphy, and more as some of his friends and mentors who helped nurture and foster him in the Black writer world. As a freelancer, Scott has written for outlets including The New York Times, Vogue Magazine, The Daily News, Johnson Publications, and ABC Radio. Scott was first asked about joining the Amsterdam News as a jazz writer in the late 1990s by Publisher Elinor Tatum, when the two spoke at a reception. He says he is grateful to Tatum and the paper, as it is because of his title that he has been able to cover some of the great jazz festivals around the world. Depending on what he is writing, whether it is a review or preview, Scott says he taps

Ron Scott, who writes the weekly Jazz Notes column with the Amsterdam News, will be honored by the Before Columbus Foundation at the American Book Awards in October. (Photo courtesy of Ron Scott)

into his life experience as a Black man in America, but he also connects to the music. “I try to be in a moment of the music, and try to feel where it’s coming from. Music is magical,” Scott said. Other close friends Scott has made through the jazz and music world over the years include Randy Weston, Clark Terry, Dick Griffin, and Irene Reid.

Scott also co-founded the Transatlantic Jazz Exchange with Nasia Seria, with the mission of bridging the gap between South Africa and America through the magic of jazz, through which they host artists from both countries for residencies in both places, connecting them with different organizations. Earlier this year, Scott visited both Cape Town and Johannesburg as part

of the residency. Scott had a goal to be a better writer in 2026, and he says this award will only push him more. He remains grateful to the artists for all they do. “Every day, like a musician, the goal is to get better,” Scott said. “Without the musicians and artists, there is no Ron Scott, the jazz writer.”

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THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

AmNews FOOD The Watermelon Carpaccio recipe: A Harlem Week promise, finally kept KYSHA HARRIS

FOOD EDITOR, @SCHOPNYC As Harlem Week 2026 began, it reminded me of the fulfilling time I had as a participating chef in the Black Chef Series at the Victoria on 125th during Harlem Week 2024. Black Chef Series founder Chef Lance Knowling was at the helm of a five-course dinner, along with chefs Chris Scott, Melvin “Boots” Johnson, and Herb Wilson. Chef Chris’s miso-cured scallop and smoked trout salad was a fever dream; Chef Wilson’s Maryland soft-shell crab kept it classic; Chef Boots’s chicory coffee-braised

short rib from a Black woman cattle farmer was rich; and Chef Lance’s blackberry mascarpone dessert sent us off into the night. It was a wonderful evening. Now that Harlem Week has ended, I’m reminded that my 2024 coverage of the Black Chef Series left you hanging without a recipe I promised for my first course that kicked off the meal. The reason? Just two months later, I was injured in a pickleball accident that sent me into what became nearly two years of surgeries, recovery, and general hard times. Now I’m getting back to it with aplomb. (Thank you for joining me on this page every week.) To borrow a little from Ashanti, “I’m not always there when you call, but I’m always on time.” Finally, here is the recipe for my first course: watermelon carpaccio.

Thin slices of ripe summer watermelon topped with briny Castelvetrano olives, salty ricotta salata, pungent slivers of shallot, spicy Caribbean jerk candied pecans, and micro arugula, all dressed with bright watermelon-Meyer lemon vinaigrette and fruity olive oil. Yes, it sounds like a lot, but it’s about balancing sweet, salt, acid, spice, texture, and the season. What I remember most about serving the dish was watching the clean plates come back to the kitchen. That always makes a chef happy. Then, a couple of guests came up to me afterward and told me they never would have thought to put watermelon together with cheese and olives — but they loved it. Swoon! That was exactly the point. Make this while summer watermelon is still

at its peak — it’s simple, fresh, and worth putting on the table. If you do, tag me on Instagram, @SCHOPnyc. I want to see your plate. Two summers later, promise kept. Thanks for reading, and happy eating! Kysha Harris is a chef, culinary producer, and food editor for the NY Amsterdam News. As a consultant and owner of SCHOP!, a personalized food service in NYC for over 23 years, she remains on the hunt for the city’s next great bite. Follow her on Instagram and on Facebook, @SCHOPnyc. Questions, comments, requests, feedback, invitations! Email us at AmNewsFOOD@ SCHOPnyc.com. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook, @NYAmNewsFOOD.

Watermelon Carpaccio Serves 4 SCHOP! Tip: Give strained watermelon juice time to rest before making the vinaigrette. As it sits, the solids separate from the water. Using that clearer liquid gives you all of the watermelon flavor and a clean vinaigrette on the plate. For the vinaigrette • 1 cup fresh watermelon water, preferably from watermelon trimmings (see SCHOP! Tip) • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, plus more to taste • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice, plus more to taste • Pinch of kosher salt For the carpaccio • 12 thin rounds ripe, seedless watermelon, about 4 inches in diameter and 1/4-inch thick • 1 small shallot, sliced paper-thin (a mandolin is best for this), placed in ice water until ready to assemble • 8 to 12 pitted Castelvetrano olives, quartered • 4 ounces ricotta salata, crumbled • 1/3 cup Live.Loud.Foods jerk nuts, chopped into small pieces or to taste • 2 cups loosely packed micro arugula or microgreens of your choice • Watermelon-Meyer lemon vinaigrette • Fruity extra-virgin olive oil • Flaky sea salt

Pre-event test of watermelon carpaccio.

Watermelon carpaccio plates ready for service at Black Chef Series dinner at Victoria during Harlem Week 2024. (Kysha Harris photos)

To assemble Arrange three watermelon rounds, slightly overlapping, on each plate. Remove the shallot from the ice water and drain well. Top each plate with an equal amount of shallot, Castelvetrano olives, crumbled Make the vinaigrette ricotta salata, jerk nuts, and micro aruguCombine the watermelon water, rice vin- la. Spoon the watermelon-Meyer lemon egar, Meyer lemon juice, and salt. Taste; it vinaigrette lightly over and around the washould be bright and tart enough to balance termelon. Finish with a drizzle of fruity exthe sweetness of the watermelon. Add more tra-virgin olive oil and flaky sea salt. vinegar or Meyer lemon juice as desired. Serve immediately.

Process: Thin rounds of ripe seedless watermelon form base of carpaccio.

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August 20, 2026 - August 26, 2026 • 19 M

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‘We are redefining what folk music is’

Tom Morello, Lauryn Hill, Mavis Staples, and more remind us that Black music is folk music

Lauryn Hill and her band performing at Newport Jazz Fest. (Johnny Knollwood photos)

Mavis Staples performing with Nathaniel Rateliff at Newport Jazz Fest.

By JOHNNY KNOLLWOOD Special to the AmNews Folk music is largely undefined; it may mean different things to different people. For some, folk music lies in a specific set of stylistic parameters or instrumentation — acoustic guitars, banjos, and stomp claps — but for many, folk music is much broader. Folk music is cultural; it is traditional and innovative, and often carries an important message. The breadth and diversity of what we call “folk music” was on full display July 24–26 in Rhode Island at the annual Newport Folk Festival, which has drawn thousands of visitors to the scenic island since the festival was founded by George Wein, Albert Grossman, and Pete Seeger in 1959 as a sister event to Wein’s Newport Jazz Fest. As of 2026, both festivals run back-to-back each summer, bringing together legends, emerging voices, and families for two incredible weekends jam-packed with art and community. “We are redefining folk music,” said Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, who performed on Sunday. Artists including Morello, hip hop revolutionary Lauryn Hill, and soul legend Mavis Staples led the charge of Black artists at Newport over the weekend. All have used their platform to challenge social issues and uplift the community throughout their careers, a central tenet of folk music throughout history. Hill, who headlined the Quad Stage on Friday evening, performed a rare acoustic set before being joined by Philadelphia-based collective Snacktime for some of Hill’s biggest hits, including the Fugees’ covers “Ready or Not” and “Killing Me Softly.” A strong sense of unity prevailed throughout the festival as concertgoers sang along to their favorite songs.

Tom Morello performing at Newport Jazz Fest

Other standout performances included Brittany Davis and Black Thunder, who brought soulful, jazz-tinged improvisation to the Harbor Stage on Sunday; funkers Vulfpeck, who featured special guest Louis Cato on drums; and Yasmin Williams, whose individualistic and unique approach to playing lap steel guitar was on full display on Saturday. Nate Smith, who is serving in his first year as artistic director of Newport Jazz Fest, performed an acoustic funk set with the Fearless Flyers before multiple appearances at Jazz Fest this weekend. Soul queen Mavis Staples, who recently experienced a set cancellation at Capital One City Parks Summerstage due to air quality issues, joined Newport Folk steward Nathaniel Rateliff, surprise artist Dave Matthews, and a slew of special guests includ-

ing John C. Reilly and Newport alum Joan Baez for a grand finale that left attendees feeling warm and connected. The appearances of Staples and Baez were a nod to the festival’s storied history, and some of their most legendary performances by two artists who redefined folk music during their most prominent years. Harlem-born guitarist Morello, whose set was potentially the loudest of the weekend, continued in the tradition of innovation prevalent in folk. His set was dynamic as he performed songs from his repertoire with Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, a cover of Ozzy Osbourne’s “Mr. Crowley” (probably the first time this has ever happened at the festival), and a string of acoustic renditions of tunes like Bruce Springsteen’s “The Ghost of Tom Joad,”

which was covered by Rage Against the Machine and performed by Morello along with Springsteen on his recent Land of Hope and Dreams Tour. Some of Morello’s most iconic riffs from songs like “Testify” and “Bulls on Parade” stood in contrast with classics like Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land,” in which Morello reinstated Guthrie’s original verses — “Is this land made for you and me?” In the context of Morello’s set, though, none of the tunes felt out of place or unrelated. “Is there anyone who likes rock and roll and hates fascism?” Morello asked the crowd before inciting a “fuck fascism” chant. Morello took time to remember his mother, Mary Morello, who recently died at the age of 102. He credited her with igniting his activist mindset and incited the audience in a call to action. “She was a lifetime fighter for justice, whether she was feeding hobos in the street and working with the Salvation Army, or advocating for free speech at the dinner table or the concert stage,” Morello remembered, as he discussed the new Mary Morello Project, which supports organizations that were important to the late activist. “If you can donate, that’s great, but sometime before October 1 — her birthday — we’re asking you to do some kind of service,” Morello told the audience. At the end of his set, the band performed Rage Against the Machine’s hit “Killing in the Name Of …” Nobody on stage sang, but the words rang loud and clear from the audience: “Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me.” All the central tenets of a good folk song were present; the message was clear, and the weekend was perfectly encapsulated. You can stay up to date with the festival at newportfolk.org and learn more about the Mary Morello Project at tommorello.com.

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Spotlight on Billie Holiday Theatre, Jazzmobile, Chicken Bone Beach

There aren’t many words to describe the iconic nonagenarian saxophonist Houston Person — his name says it all. While recording more than 75 albums, he has contributed his soulful tenor sound to such notables as Ron Carter, Bill Charlap, Lena Horne, Lou Rawls, Janis Siegel, Grant Green, and Dakota Staton, as well as a longtime collaboration with vocalist Etta Jones, among others. With such a deep ocean of experience as a sideman and bandleader — one of America’s soul jazz architects — it’s odd that he has yet to be recognized as an NEA Jazz Master. As an elder force in shaping the core of this music while keeping it hip, the 91-year-old remains committed to the swing of it all. The native of South Carolina, who has spent many years residing in Newark, N.J., travels across the bridge with his fiery tenor sax to Brooklyn’s Billie Holiday Theatre (1368 Fulton Street) on August 21 as part of its Summer Music Series. The lineup will also include multi-percussionist, singer, and composer Hasan Bakr. With a shining career that spans five decades, Bakr’s music enlists the deeply rooted sounds of his ancestry of Gullah Geechee heritage (descendants of West Africa). The schedule is rounded out with Brooklyn-based DJ and sound therapist Jahmedicine, known for his spoken words riddled with truth — take a listen to his singles “Equilibrium” and “Things Get Better” (from the Miracle of Existence): “Things get better when you get better/You going to live your truth or AI it?” Born and raised in Brooklyn, Jahmedicine has since built a reputation for creating atmosphere over spectacle, drawing from influences in jazz, hip hop, reggae, salsa, funk, Brazilian music, house, and R&B. The Billie Holiday Theatre is more than just music; it represents a magnetic force at the forefront of Black arts of the now and artistic endeavors into Black futurism. For times and schedule, visit thebillieholidaytheatre.org or call 718-636-6951.

Houston Person. (Photo courtesy of Hubert Williams Photography)

Atlantic City’s Missouri Avenue Beach, also known as Chicken Bone Beach, has the makings of a derogatory joke, and there were probably many during its heyday of segregation. The condescending name of the beach — located in the then-racially segregated section of the northside of Atlantic City, N.J. (between Missouri and Mississippi Avenues) — referenced the lunches brought by beachgoers who were not permitted by Jim Crow laws to eat in restaurants along the boardwalk or in the immediate area. It remained a “Blacks Only” beach until the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. By no coincidence, the Inkwell, or Town Beach in Oak Bluffs (Martha’s Vineyard), is the popular beach frequented by African Americans, beginning with the Great Migration of the late19th century. In this instance, the local whites picked up on another harsh reference — “the Inkwell,” referencing the skin color of the beachgoers. In both Atlantic City and Martha’s Vineyard, the Black communities reclaimed

their despicable nicknames as an emblem of resistance and pride. The Chicken Bone Beach Historical Foundation, founded by Atlantic City native Henrietta W. Shelton, installed a commemorative marker to mark Chicken Bone Beach in 2015. The 26th Annual Jazz on the Beach concert series runs every Thursday through September 3, at Kennedy Plaza Stage on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. Presented by the Chicken Bone Beach Historical Foundation, these free outdoor concerts feature local jazz openers at 7:00 p.m. and headliners at 8:30 p.m. On August 20, the Amina Figarova Sextet takes to the coastal stage. The Azerbaijan-born pianist is known for her daring compositions of fusion blended with traditional jazz elements of world music. On August 27, the legendary singer Jean Carn takes the spotlight, encompassing her early days in the jazz spectrum with her former husband, pianist and composer Doug Carn, to her R&B days with Kenny Gamble

and Leon Huff (Philadelphia International Records) and beyond. The beach fest concludes on September 3 with the ever-busy pianist, composer, music producer, author, and radio host Bob Baldwin. He completed 11 albums in January 2026, subtitled the Urban Jazz Music Series. In 2000, he cowrote and co-produced two songs on Will Downing’s “All the Man You Need” album. Some of his albums were recorded under his own label, City Sketches. For a more complete history, read “Chicken Bone Beach: A Pictorial History of Missouri Avenue Beach” (Sunbury Press, 2017) by Cheryl Woodruff-Brooks. For festival information, visit chickenbonebeach.org. On August 21 at Marcus Garvey Park (124th Street and 5th Avenue), the Miles Davis centennial continues with The Voice of Miles: A Symphonic Celebration, a bold new show that transforms the acclaimed documentary “Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool” into a bright concert experience. Through the show, pairing Davis’s

original, isolated trumpet recordings with a live orchestra, audiences will experience the sound and story of the genius who reshaped jazz as never before. Miles Davis, the epitome of cool, blazing the world with music only dreamers could comprehend. That distinctive raspy-gravel voice, Ivy League silk suits, Brooks Brothers, Saks Fifth Avenue. Those groovy flower generation bellbottoms, Afros, Black Power Tribute to Jack Johnson. Vote Miles in the Sky on the corner drinking Bitches Brew watching Black comedy in a silent way. Ssshhhh, it’s Tutu miles ahead water babies splash don’t lose your mind sorcerer someday my prince will come seven steps to heaven out of nowhere Nefertiti milestones Miles smiles kind of blue. Dig the definitive miles sketches of Spain filles de Kilimanjaro, the Miles Davis quintet collectors’ items. The special Miles centennial at 7–8:30 p.m. is presented in partnership with Jazzmobile SUMMERFEST, Park Avenue Artists, and the Miles Davis Estate. For information, visit Jazzmobile.org.

Howard Continued from page 3

each year to attend. The median income for four-year graduates is about $73,000, according to the Education Department. Frederick said Howard has graduated more Black doctors than any other school in the country. The “scandal,” as Christopher calls the unenrollment issue, likely will not impact Howard’s reputation as “The Mecca” of Black education in the long run. “Howard has been the blueprint for HBCUs, graduated the best and the brightest — not saying they’re the only one who does that,” she said. “When it comes to overall impact of HBCU institutions, Howard stands at the top of that list.” Tang reported from Sunnyvale, California. Williams reported from Detroit.

BNY Continued from page 5

that we are experiencing. I think I realized that this is not just me; this is many other mothers in our community.” Wisdom has previously taught throughout the city and continues to hold workshops with students in District 5, which is mostly Black and Brown. She notes there are clear disparities she sees regularly. “To know what our schools look like, and to know that $42,000 a year is being spent on each child — are we seeing that money in our schools?” Wisdom asked, noting that one of the 20 schools where she has recently worked in the district didn’t even have computers for students. “What’s Going On!” airs live on WBAI on Tuesdays from 7:00 a.m. and HNN shows are on YouTube. She is getting ready to build it out with a show on Manhattan public access, a podcast, and a new Substack. Despite the grind, Wisdom remains motivated by the mission of serving her people. “It can be very daunting, stressful, and depressing because you’re trying to do this work, but you have to just say to yourself that this is what it has always been,” Wisdom said. “Just like the great figures in our history, you have to pierce the veil and not get distracted or discouraged, and keep going.”

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

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THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Are there enough safe spaces for NYC teens? By AUTUMN WYNN Special to the AmNews

Search online for things for teenagers to do in New York, and you’ll find countless lists promising affordable fun. But unless you’re 18 or older, your choices may be limited. Many NYC teens don’t have safe, affordable, and fun places to hang out. Instead, many go to parks, standing in front of malls, and other gathering spaces. From Atlantic Center to Kings Plaza malls, an 18+ rule has been heavily enforced. Due to a rise in fights, crowding, and commotion, these places view teenagers as nuisances. “Research shows that social connectedness and belonging play vital roles in promoting positive mental health for teens,” Dr. Katie Hurley, DSW, LCSW, said. “They are considered protective factors. Teens can experience loneliness, lack of connection, and poor mental health when they don’t have access to social relationships within their communities. This can increase feelings of sadness, stress, and even symptoms of depression for some.” One recent incident that gives an example of teen boredom is the NYPD’s release of aerial drone footage of two teens subway surfing. No arrests have been made but reports indicate the teens face reckless endangerment and criminal trespassing charges. Another is the recent “takeovers” at malls, including one that occurred in February, resulting in 18 arrests. While teens say they want a space for them to have a good time, many places are created around not wanting the liability of teens vs. trying to work with them and parents to create a better community. “These teens don’t know how to have fun,” a phrase that many of the older generations think about teens now, which may be true but requires a nuanced analysis. One critical piece of information that is severely left out is the difference in stimulation then vs. now. Many mid-to-late Gen Z

(Pexels/Monstera Production)

people were born into technology. Gen X and Millennials vs. Gen Z and Alpha have distinct differences that are vital to understand before confronting and solving the problems of today. Gen X and Millennials grew up purely on scheduled television and physical forms of media. From PBS to MTV, there was a clean-cut way you’d consume media and in a very controlled amount. Additionally, there weren’t many places that were exclusively 18+. At Ailbee Square Mall in Brooklyn, teens of any age could enter. It was a fun hangout place that welcomed teens. Compared to now, where these spaces are limited and expensive. “Much of what happens on screen pro-

Delivery Protection Act Continued from page 10

endorsement of the Delivery Protection Act gave it new political momentum. He said corporations like Amazon have built “billion-dollar business models” by insulating themselves through subcontracting, while last-mile delivery centers have grown alongside rising worker injuries and street-safety concerns. City officials and supporters cite a 2025 report by former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander that found that 78% of areas near lastmile facilities had increases in injury-causing crashes after those facilities opened. At City Hall, Council members Sandy Nurse, Yusef Salaam, and Crystal Hudson joined workers and advocates in calling for passage of the bill. Nurse called the bill one of the Council’s “top priorities” and said, “we care about our workers, and we are proud to take on one of the biggest cor-

porations in this country right now. We will bring Jeff Bezos to heel.” Hudson told the crowd, “If it looks like an Amazon worker, it sounds like an Amazon worker, then gosh darn it, we’re here to say it’s an Amazon worker and they need to receive the benefits and pay that they absolutely deserve.” Theodore Moore, executive director of ALIGN and a leader in the New Yorkers for a Fair Economy coalition, said the bill is gaining strength because workers and community organizations have made Amazon’s subcontracting model a public accountability issue. “The Delivery Protection Act is doing really well,” Moore said. “Just this week, we reached a supermajority of council sponsors. We are up to 34 sponsors, which means we’re looking forward to voting sometime in the next few weeks.”

vides ‘impoverished’ stimulation of the developing brain compared to reality,” according to a study from pediatrician Dr. Michael Rick. “Children need a diverse menu of online and offline experiences, including the chance to let their minds wander. Boredom is the space in which creativity and imagination happen.” According to the National Alliance on Mental Health’s New York data sheet, “1 in 9 adolescents aged 12-17 have serious thoughts of suicide each year,” which is fueled by a “1 in 629 ratio of school psychologists to students in New York’s K-12 public schools.” Most teens say there just isn’t a place catered to them. Somewhere that is asking questions of how to include instead of fur-

ther isolating. “Opportunities for social connection, mentoring, and belonging. Teens experience a sense of purpose in these spaces, especially when the spaces are designed with teen input,” said Hurley. “Knowing where to go to find support and connection and having free and easy access to these spaces enables teens to experience community among their peers.”

Moore said the bill counters the fact that Amazon controls the work but denies responsibility if something goes wrong. “Amazon itself is such a large corporation, but it has such little responsibility for the harm it actually causes,” he said. “Oftentimes, you see a package being delivered; you see it coming in an Amazon truck. The person who gets out driving it has on an Amazon vest and uniform, but they don’t actually work for Amazon. They work for third-party DSPs, which then contract with Amazon.” Moore said the city would make the company operating the delivery system responsible for the workers carrying it out. “That’s what the Delivery Protection Act does; it basically says that if you drive an Amazon truck, if you wear an Amazon uniform, if you’re delivering packages for Amazon, you’re an Amazon employee, and they are responsible for it.”

Moore said subcontractors could still exist, but not as a shield for companies that keep control while avoiding liability. “The companies themselves could still exist so they can still contract with other companies like they still have trucks but it’s saying this particular model that Amazon has –– where basically they are subcontracting and still holding all of the power –– that model needs to cease to exist.” Amazon and allied business groups have pushed back, arguing the bill could hurt delivery service providers and their workers. An industry-sponsored study cautioned that the proposed legislation could jeopardize more than 10,000 jobs while driving up delivery fees for local households. Amazon has also said its New York delivery partners include more than 40 local small businesses employing more than 5,000 people, and that the bill, as written, could undermine fast, affordable delivery.

This story ran as part of On The Record, the online youth publication of the New York Amsterdam News, showcasing original reporting by high school journalists. See more of their work at https://amsterdamnews. com/ontherecord/

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CL ASSIFIED ADS 100 PUBLIC NOTICES

RULES AND REGULATIONS CANCELLATIONS must be made in writing by 12 Noon Monday. The forwarding of an order is construed as an acceptance of all advertising rules and conditions under which advertising space is sold by the NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS. Publication is made and charged according to the terms of this card. Rates and regulations subject to change without notice. No agreements as to position or regulations, other than those printed on this. Til forbid orders charged for rate earned. Increases or decreases in space take the rate of a new advertisement. The New York AMSTERDAM NEWS reserves the right to censor, reject, alter or revise all advertisements in accordance with its rules governin g the acceptance of advertising and accepts no liability for its failure to insert an advertisement for any cause. Credit for errors in advertisements allowed only for first insertion. CLASSIFIED • Classified advertisements take the regular earned rate of their classification. Four line minimum on all ads except spirituals and horoscopes (14 lines). CLASSIFIED DISPLAY • Classified Display (boarder or picture) advertisements take the regular earned rate of their classification. Display (boarder or picture) advertisements one column wide must be 14 lines deep; two columns, 28 lines deep; 3 columns, 56 lines deep. Classified Display (boarder or picture) placed as close to classifications as rules and makeup permit. CLASSIFICATIONS All advertisement accepted for publication is classified according to the standard classifications. Misclassification is not permitted. BASIS OF CHARGE Charges are based on point size and characters per line. Upon reaching 15 lines the rate converts to column inch. Any deviation from solid composition such as indentation, use of white space, bold type, etc., will incur a premium. In Case of error, notify the Amsterdam News 212-932-7440

101 LEGAL NOTICES

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101 LEGAL NOTICES

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, COUNTY OF NEW YORK, STORMFIELD CAPITAL FUNDING I, LLC , Plaintiff, against 2647 BROADWAY APTS LLC; JONAH BAMBERGER; AMIR HELDI; ZVI CHALAMISH; AMACO MANAGEMENT CONSTRUCTION INC; IMP PLUMBING HEATING CORP; NYC FIRE SERVICES GUARDS LLC; CITY OF NEW YORK ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD; DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING PRESERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK; and JOHN DOE NO. 1 THROUGH JOHN DOE NO. XXX, inclusive, the last thirty names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises described in the complaint, Defendants. INDEX NO. 850438/2025. TO DEFENDANTS JONAH BAMBERGER AND AMIR HELDI: You are hereby summoned to answer the complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the complaint is not served with this summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the Plaintiff’s attorney within 20 days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after the service is complete if this summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York); and in case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint. The basis of venue is the location of the subject property, which is New York County, New York. TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS: The foregoing summons is served upon you by publication, pursuant to an Order of Francis A. Kahn, III, a Justice of the Supreme court, dated April 16, 2026, and filed with the supporting papers in the New York County Clerk’s Office. This is an action to foreclose on the property known as 2647-2649 Broadway, New York, New York 10025, legal description: Block 1872 and Lot 52 of the New York County Tax Assessment Map in the Borough of Manhattan, State of New York. The relief sought is the finding that Plaintiff has a first and best lien on the property; an Order finding that Plaintiff has the legal right and is authorized to foreclose on the Property; an Order finding the such foreclosure will vest in the purchaser thereat free and clear title to the Property, free of any and all interests that are or might be asserted

by the Defendants; an Order that Plaintiff has the right to credit bid at such foreclosure sale any and all amounts due to Plaintiff under the Loan Documents; an Order directing that the Sheriff of New York County, New York, or any referee appointed in this action, foreclose the Property and deliver the title to the successful bidder at such foreclosure; an Order directing how to apply the proceeds of the sale; an Order that Borrower has no right of redemption or reinstatement with respect to the Property; and an Order finding that Plaintiff has preserved its right to pursue any deficiency that may exist. Dated: April 27, 2026, POLSINELLI PC, Aaron P. Davis, Esq., Attorneys for Plaintiff STORMFIELD CAPITAL FUNDING I, LLC, 600 Third Avenue, 42nd Floor, New York, New York 10016, adavis@polsinelli.com, (212) 803-9918.

as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Katie Rue: 45 Orchard St, Storefront, New York, NY, 10002. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of formation of Prompt Studios, LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/02/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Prompt Studios, LLC: 140 Broadway 28th Floor New York, NY 10005. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of Revolutionary Therapeutic Services, LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 3/30/2026. Office location: Bronx County. SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Shakeem E. Holmes: Shakeemh@yahoo.com. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of Lindi Gordon Photography LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 2/02/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to ZenBusiness: RA@ ZenBusiness.com. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of Afterglow NYC LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 3/09/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated

Notice of formation of Good Timing Platform, LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/11/2025. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Good Timing Platform, LLC: 110 West 40th Street, Suite 1500, New York, NY 10018. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. 108 HIGH POND RD LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 06/03/26. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 251 Central Park West, Apartment 8A, New York, NY 10024. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. SKYLARK TALENT MANAGEMENT, LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 07/16/2024. Office in New York Co. SSNY desig. agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 192 East 3rd Street, Apt, 4A, New York, NY 10009. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of Formation of PHIPPS SOLAR I, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/04/26. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: c/o Phipps Houses, 257 Park Ave. South, 12th Fl., NY, NY 10010. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the addr. of its princ. office. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of LUCID MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTIONS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/10/26. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 1 Saint St., Apt. 2, Brooklyn, NY 11217. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

101 LEGAL NOTICES Notice of Formation of 65 CPW 1G LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/02/26. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Cindy Kadet, 65 Central Park West, Apt. 1G, NY, NY 10023. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of VCW JV, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/10/26. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 370 Lexington Ave., 23rd Fl., NY, NY 10017. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

GALLIUM PRESS LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 06/03/26. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 15 West 67th Street, Suite 4FW, New York, NY 10023. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of Formation of CANNON MADISON LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/26/26. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of WHITTINGHAM LAW PLLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 05/29/26. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of PLLC: 3 Columbus Circle, Fl. 15, NY, NY 10019. SSNY designated as agent of PLLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the PLLC at the addr. of its princ. office. Purpose: Law.

Notice of Authority of RLB Official LLC. App. for Auth. filed with SSNY on 12/3/25. Offc. Loc: NY Cty. SSNY desig. for service of process. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, c/o Square Seven Management, LLC, 15 E 26th St, Ste 602, NY,

101 LEGAL NOTICES NY 10010. Purpose: any lawful purpose Notice of formation of Anil R Shah Medical NYC PLLC. Arts. of Org. filed w/ Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/26/2025. Off. loc.: NY Cnty. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 519 E. 87th St., Apt. D, New York, NY 10128. Purpose: Any lawful activity. NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NEW YORK U.S. BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE TO BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. AS SUCCESSOR TO LASALLE BANK, N.A. AS TRUSTEE FOR THE HOLDERS OF THE MERRILL LYNCH FIRST FRANKLIN MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST, MORTGAGE LOAN ASSETBACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-FF2, Plaintiff AGAINST JOSE BUCO A/K/A JOSE H. BUCO A/K/A JOSE SANDY H. BUCO A/K/A JOSE SANDY HAYAG BUCO; ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered June 3, 2026, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse, see posted location outside room 130, at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on September 15, 2026 at 2:15 pm, premises known as 350 West 42nd Street Unit 57D, New York, NY 10036. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County, City and State of New York, Block: 1032 lot: 1517. Approximate amount of judgment $3,064,889.44 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #850001/2023. For sale information, please visit ServiceLink Auction at https:// www.servicelinkauction.com or call (866) 539-4173. Jeffrey R. Miller, Esq., Referee Fein, Such & Crane, LLP 28 East Main Street Rochester, NY 14614 SPSJC189 90984 NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NEW YORK , Mary Djurasevic , Plaintiff, vs . Marcy Ellin Boucher, a/k/a Marcy Ellen Boucher, a/k/a Marcy E. Boucher a/k/a Marcy Boucher ET AL. , Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion dated January 30 , 2025, and duly

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THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

101 LEGAL NOTICES

101 LEGAL NOTICES

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entered May 21, 2025 I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Supreme Court, Room 130, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on September 15th at 2:15 p.m., premises known as 406 West 25 th Street, New York, N.Y. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of New York, County of New York, City and State of New York, Block 722 and Lot 45. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 850003/2024. Approximate amount of judgment is $5,298,632.71, together with interest and costs.

CITY NATIONAL BANK, Plaintiff, -against- BRENT BOYCE AKA BRENT T. BOYCE, if he be living and if he be dead, the respective heirs-at-law, next-of-kin, distributes, executors, administrators, trustees, devisees, legatees, assignees, lienors, creditors and successors in interest and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through said defendant who may be deceased, by purchase, inheritance, lien or inheritance, lien or otherwise any right, title or interest in or to the real property described in the complaint; NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD, Defendants - Index No. 850569/2025 Plaintiff Designates New York County as the Place of Trial. The Basis of Venue is that the subject premises is situated in New York County. To the above named Defendants– YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your Answer or, if the Complaint is not served with this Summons, to serve a Notice of Appearance upon the Plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the date of service or within thirty (30) days after the service is complete if this Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York. If you fail to so appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. That this Supplemental Summons is being filed pursuant to an order of the court dated July 9, 2026. NOTICE-YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME – If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (CITY NATIONAL BANK) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. The foregoing summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an order of the Honorable Francis A. Kahn III J.S.C. Dated: July 9, 2026 Filed: July 9, 2026. The object of this action is to foreclose a mortgage and covering the premises known as 493 Manhattan Avenue, New York, NY 10027. Dated: June 16, 2026 Filed: July 27, 2026 Greenspoon Marder LLP, Attorney for Plaintiff, By: Raspreet Bhatia, Esq.1345 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 2200, New York, NY 10105 P: (212) 524-5000 F: (212) 524-

5050 (No Service by fax)

share known as 48TH STREET VACATION SUITES located at 12 East 48th Street, New York, NY. Approximate amount of judgment is $23,658.41 plus costs and interest as of March 4, 2026. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale which includes annual maintenance fees and charges. Jeffrey R. Miller, Esq., Referee. Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston, & Zimet LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 341 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, NY

$842,896.62, plus interest, costs and expenses. Matthew D. Hunter, III, Esq. COOPER ERVING & SAVAGE, LLP Attorneys for Plaintiff 20 Corporate Woods Blvd., Ste. 501 Albany, New York 12211 (518) 449-3900

TRUSTEE is the Plaintiff and LEWIS WU, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the NEW YORK COUNTY CIVIL SUPREME COURTHOUSE, 60 CENTRE STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10007, on September 8, 2026 at 2:15PM, premises known as 80 ELIZABETH ST, UNIT 6J, A/K/A 80 ELIZABETH ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013; and the following tax map identification: 1-239-1075.

Jeffrey R. Miller, Esq., Referee Law Offices of Morrison Cohen LLP, Joaquin Ezcurra, Esq., 909 Third Avenue, 27 th Floor, New York, NY 10022-4784, (212) 735-8600 NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF New York , CITIMORTGAGE, INC. , Plaintiff, vs. NICOLE M. CHRISTIE, ET AL., Defendant (s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on October 21, 2025 I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at Room 252 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 on September 1, 2026 at 2:15 PM, premises known as 300 W 135TH STREET, UNIT 7E, NEW YORK, NY 10030. The Condominium Unit (the “Unit”) in the Building known as Strivers Gardens Condominium located at and known as by street number 300 West 135 th Street, New York, New York, Block: 1959, Lot: 1053 formerly part of lot 31 with an undivided .4094 percent interest in Common Elements of the Condominium. Approximate amount of judgment is $136,087.19 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 850043/2024. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, the Mortgagee’s attorney, or the Referee. SOFIA BALILE, Esq., Referee Halliday, Watkins & Mann, P.C., 6851 Jericho Turnpike, Suite 185, Syosset, New York 11791, Attorneys for Plaintiff

SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS–SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, COUNTY OF NEW YORK –

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NEW YORK Index No. 153744/2026 Purchased: 3-252026 SUMMONS Address of Subject Premises: Unit PH3-D 222 Riverside Drive New York, New York 10025Block: 1253 Lot: 1172 BOARD OF MANAGERS OF 222 RIVERSIDE DRIVE CONDOMINIUM, Plaintiff, -againstPATRICK VIDAVER, Defendant. To the Above Named Defendant: You are hereby summoned to answer the complaint of the plaintiff in this action and to serve a copy of your answer on the plaintiff’s attorneys at the address indicated below within twenty (20) days after service of this Summons (not counting the day of service itself) or within thirty (30) days after ser-vice is complete if this Summons is not delivered personally to you within the State of New York. You are hereby notified that, should you fail to answer or appear, a judgment will be entered against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint. The basis of the venue designated is the county in which the subject of the action is situated, as required by CPLR § 507. Dated: New York New York March 24, 2026 The Grun Law Group, P.C. By: Karen E. McArthur, Esq. Attorneys for Plaintiff 424 Madison Avenue, 2nd Floor New York, New York 10017 (212) 973-3332 kmcarthur@ grunlawgroup.com NOTICE: This is an action to foreclose on a statutory lien for unpaid condominium common charges. The relief sought is to have the condominium unit described below sold according to law, and that the proceeds arising from the sale be brought into court, and that there be paid therefrom, insofar as the monies properly applicable thereto will pay the same, the expenses of the sale and the other sums due to plaintiff pursuant to the lien, together with interest, attorneys’ fees and disbursements of this action to the date of payment. The subject of this action is the following property: The condominium unit known as Apartment PH3-D at 222 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10025; Block 1253, Lot 1172 SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK COUNTY- HILTON RESORTS CORP., Pltf. v. TALIA N. PLAUT, Deft. - Index # 850015/2025. Pursuant to Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated May 28, 2026, I will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse located at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at 2:15 pm, an interest of an undivided 0.047201260419194% tenant in common interest in the time-

NOTICE OF SALE Index No. 850660/2023 MORTGAGED PROPERTY: 635 W. 42nd Street, Unit 2E, Borough of Manhattan, City of New York, State of New York 10036 Assessment Roll: Tax Map No. 01090-1163 Mortgage Servicer: Citizens Bank, N.A. d/b/a Citizens One Home Loans Mortgage Service Telephone No.: 800-234-6002 SUPREME COURT STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NEW YORK CITIZENS BANK, N.A., Plaintiff, -against- ANTHONY PERKINS a/k/a ANTHONY R. PERKINS a/k/a ANTHONY RAY PERKINS; CITIZENS BANK, N.A. f/k/a RBS CITIZENS, N.A.; THE BOARD OF MANAGERS OF THE ATELIER CONDOMINIUM; COMMISSIONER OF LABOR STATE OF NEW YORK; NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE; ROYAL BANK OF CANADA; PEARL DELTA FUNDING LLC; NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU; and NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU, Defendants. In pursuance of a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly made on June 4, 2026, and entered in the New York County Clerk’s Office on June 6, 2026, I, the undersigned, the referee, will now sell at public auction, at the New York County Courthouse located at 60 Center Street, New York, New York in room 252 on September 22, 2026, at 2:15 o’clock in the afternoon of that date, the premises directed by said judgment to be sold which are commonly known as 635 W. 42nd Street, Unit 2E, Borough of Manhattan, County of New York, City of New York, State of New York, Assessment Roll: Tax Map No. 01090-1163. A complete legal description can be obtained upon request from plaintiff’s attorney. Judgment amount -

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK JG FUNDING CORP., Plaintiff -against- 1363 FIRST OWNER LLC; 453 EAST 83RD STREET LLC; PERL WEISZ; CHESKIE WEISZ; NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD; NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; SHARESTATES INVESTMENTS, LLC; LEVON CAPITAL LLC; “JOHN DOE #1” through “JOHN DOE #99,”, Defendant(s). Pursuant to a judgment of foreclosure and sale dated October 4, 2024 and entered on October 15, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 130 at the portico of the New York County Courthouse located at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on September 8, 2026 at 2:15 p.m., the premises known as 1363 1ST AVENUE, NEW YORK, NY 10021; Block 1448, Lot 24 and 453 E 83RD STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10028; Block 1563, Lot 121 as more fully described in the complaint and Judgment. Approximate amount of lien $7,490,500.00 plus interest and costs Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 850430/2023 ELAINE SHAY, ESQ., Referee MENASHE AND LAPA LLP, ATTORNEY(S) FOR PLAINTIFF 400 RELLA BLVD., SUITE 190, SUFFERN, NY 10901 DATED: June 22, 2026 SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NEW YORK MEB LOAN TRUST VII, U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE, -againstLEWIS WU, ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of New York on January 3, 2025, wherein MEB LOAN TRUST VII, U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, BUT SOLELY AS

THE CONDOMINIUM UNIT (THE “UNIT”) KNOWN AS UNIT NO. 6J IN THE BUILDING (THE “BUILDING”) KNOWN AS THE ROYAL ELIZABETH CONDOMINIUM (THE “CONDOMINIUM”) AND BY THE STREET NUMBER 80 ELIZABETH STREET, BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN, COUNTY, CITY AND STATE OF NEW YORK, SAID UNIT BEING DESIGNATED AND DESCRIBED BY THE ABOVE UNIT NO. 6J, IN A CERTAIN DECLARATION DATED SEPTEMBER 12, 1990, MADE BY 159 HESTER STREET REALTY ASSOCIATES, L.P., PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 9-B OF THE REAL PROPERTY LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK (THE “CONDOMINIUM ACT”); TOGETHER WITH AN UNDIVIDED 0.8358% INTEREST IN THE COMMON ELEMENTS; ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN, COUNTY, CITY AND STATE OF NEW YORK Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 850209/2016. Scott H. Siller, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC, 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES. NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF New York, Stormfield SPV IV, LLC, Plaintiff, vs. Bowery Shed LLC, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion duly entered on March 9, 2026, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Courthouse, room assignment will be posted outside of room 130, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 on September 22, 2026 at 2:15 p.m., premis-

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

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101 LEGAL NOTICES

101 LEGAL NOTICES

195LEGAL HELP WANTED 101 NOTICES

101 LEGAL NOTICES

101 LEGAL NOTICES

es known as 354 Bowery, Unit 3, New York, NY 10012. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County of New York, City and State of New York, Block 531 and Lot 1203 together with an undivided 16 percent interest in the Common Elements, as well as all personal property of Defendant as identified in that certain Consolidation, Extension and Modification Agreement, dated as of May 16, 2023, and recorded on May 23, 2023, as CRFN 2023000126995, and excluding any funds held by Plaintiff in any reserve, escrow, or suspense fund, and excluding any funds held by Plaintiff in any cash management account. Approximate amount of judgment is $1,197,719.00 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #850019/2025. Sofia Balile, Esq., Referee Polsinelli PC, Aaron P. Davis, Esq., 600 Third Avenue, 42nd Floor, New York, New York 10016, Attorneys for Plaintiff

LEGALZOOM USCA, INC. 45 MAIN STREET, SUITE 238 BROOKLYN, NY, 11201, USA: DROPPINGEMZLLC@outloo. com. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

SSNY should mail process to c/o United Agent Group Inc.: 600 Mamaroneck Avenue #400, Harrison, NY 10528. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

SSNY should mail process to Kaizheng Wang: 500 W 120th St #419, New York, NY 10027. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

SHADETREE LANE, ROSLYN HEIGHTS, NY, 11577. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of formation of Gluck & Co. LLP. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 7/30/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Secretary of State of New York (SSNY): Gluck & Co. LLP, 305 Broadway, Suite 731, New York, NY 10007. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of Voyzant LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 05/13/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to VOYZANT LLC: ayesha@voyzantus.com. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of Sutra Sangha. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 05/04/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Florence Homolka: 110 W 86th St # Apt 5D. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of DROPPINGJEMZ LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 05/05/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to

Notice of formation of 10 Topaz EH, LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 6/22/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Andrew Koff: PO Box 111 New York, NY 10028. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of Cavu Books LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/10/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Elizabeth Anne Savery: 105 West 13 Street, Apt. 16D, New York, NY 10011. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of Platinum Lux LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/26/26. Office location: Bronx County. SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Jose David Mora: 2600 Marion Avenue. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of 360 Event Supplies, LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 7/21/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to The LLC: 228 Park Avenue South #201242 New York, NY 10003. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of formation of LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 7/18/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Mohammad Sadeghi Ghahareh: m.sadeghi@msgwe. com. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of Gluck & Co. LLP. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/30/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Gluck & Co. LLP: info@gluckllp. com. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of NAPOLI BITES LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 05/01/2026. Office location: Bronx County. SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to REPUBLIC REGISTERED AGENT SERVICES INC.: 54 STATE STREET, STE 804 ALBANY, NY, 12207, USA. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of BENOOSH LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/17/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to The Secretary of State: 106 W, 117th St, New York, NY, 10026. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of formation of Redman Protective Service LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 04/07/2026. Office location: Bronx County. SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Ransford Redman: 40B Adler Place, Bronx, NY, 10475. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of formation of STOREY GALLERY, LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 05/25/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to STOREY GALLERY, LLC: 60 Russell St, Brooklyn, NY 11222. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of formation of WSA Culinary LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 6/11/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served.

Notice of formation of KW Consulting LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 7/19/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served.

Notice of formation of Fushia Financials, LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/16/2021. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to The LLC: 99 Wall Street Ste 5301, New York, NY 10005. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of Brookdale Farms LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/02/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Matt DeGraw: 2 Brookdale Place, Rye, NY 10580. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of Manvi Mittal PR. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 04/19/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Manvi Mittal: manvimittal.pr@ gmail.com. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of VELOR FILMS, LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/27/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Northwest Registered Agent LLC: 418 Broadway, STE N Albany, NY 12207. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of Litmatic, LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 7/02/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Kenneth Musante: 127 W83rd St, #227, New York NY, 10024. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of Aura Medical Management LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/09/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Zhaonan Wang: 9

Notice of formation of Verse Architecture PLLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/01/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Professional Limited Liability Company (PLLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Dyuthi Prakash: 1350 Ave of the Americas, Fl 2-1047. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of DEMI LINGO STUDIO LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/18/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Demi Lingo: 6634 108th Street Apt. 2B, Forest Hills, New York 11375. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of Imagine F&B NYC LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/07/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to REGISTERED AGENT SOLUTIONS, INC.: 99 WASHINGTON AVENUE, SUITE 1008, ALBANY, NY, 12260. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of MACLLAREN & CO. BARBERS N.Y. LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/19/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to New York Secretary of State: 35 E 1ST ST, WEST STOREFRONT, New York, NY 10003. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of Douceur from the heart LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 7/1/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Secretary of State of the State of New York: 356 East 78th Street, New York, NY 10075. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of Julia Stevens LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/14/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company

101 LEGAL NOTICES (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Julia Stevens: 82 IRVING PL, 6A, New York, NY 10003. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of Qualification of SUREGO TECHOLOGIES LLC. Certificate of Authority filed with Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 05/01/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). Limited Liability Company (LLC) formed on 04/20/2026. SSNY designated as agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Registered Agent Solutions, Inc: 195 Canal St Suite 203 New York, NY 10013. Articles of Organization originally filed with Secretary of State (SOS). 1603 Capitol Ave Suite 310 Cheyenne, WY 82001 Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of Qualification of Alexander White Agnecy, LLC. Certificate of Authority filed with Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 7/01/2026. Office location: New York County (Manhattan). Limited Liability Company (LLC) formed on 07/30/2013. SSNY designated as agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Alexander White: 12 E 49th Street, Floor 11, New York, NY 10017. Articles of Organization originally filed with Secretary of State (SOS). 999 Peachtree Street NE , Suite 400, Atlanta, GA 30309 Purpose: Any lawful purpose. KINAN LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 06/17/2026. Office in New York Co. SSNY desig. agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 228 Park Ave S #235091, New York, NY 10003. Legalzoom Usca, Inc. desig. as agent for SOP 45 Main Street, Suite 238, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. HOMES AND MORE LLC. App. for Auth. filed with the SSNY on 06/25/26. Originally filed with the Secretary of State of Delaware on 06/22/26. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 122 East 42nd Street, Ste 2405, New York, NY 10168. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of Restorative Retreats, LLC . Arts. of Org. filed w/ Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/13/2026 . Off. loc.: New York Cnty. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 220 East 65th St, #11EF, New York, NY 10065. Purpose: Any lawful activity. NOTICE OF FORMATION OF RADIO MAN, LLC. Arts.

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THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

101 LEGAL NOTICES

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195LEGAL HELP WANTED 101 NOTICES

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101 LEGAL NOTICES

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of Org. filed with the Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 7/29/26. Office Loc. NY County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to: Radio Man, LLC at PO Box 778, NY, NY 10013. Reg. Agent: eResidentAgent, Inc. 1 Rockefeller Plaza Ste 1204, NY, NY 10020. P/B/A: 205 Hudson St, Ste 1002, NY, NY 10013. Purpose: any lawful activity.

NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF SUKHADAA NY, LLC. Appl. for Auth. filed with the Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 7/21/26. Office Loc. New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 7/21/26. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to: Sukhadaa NY, LLC at 3940 Laurel Canyon Blvd., #946, Studio City, CA 91604. Reg. Agent: eResidentAgent, Inc.1 Rockefeller Plaza Ste 1204, NY, NY 10020. DE address of LLC is 500 Delaware Ave., 903, Wilmington, DE 19801. P/B/A: 3940 Laurel Canyon Blvd., #946, Studio City, CA 91604. Cert. of LLC filed with Secy. of State of DE located at 401 Federal St, 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: any lawful activity

lawful activity

to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 850082/2023. HARVEY STEVEN MARS, ESQ., Referee DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590 DLG# 39064 {* AMSTERDAM*}

Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated July 14, 2026, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Supreme Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY, in the courtroom designated by the posting outside of Room 130, on Tuesday, September 1, 2026 at 2:15 PM, premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County of New York, City and State of New York, being an undivided ownership interest as tenant‑in‑common with other owners in the Timeshare Unit in the building located at 102 West 57th Street, New York, NY. Together with an appurtenant undivided .009864% common interest percentage. This is a foreclosure on ownership interest in a timeshare unit, a studio penthouse on a floating use basis every year, in accordance with and subject to declarations. Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions dated October 10, 2008 and October 31, 2008 as CFRN # 2008000426142 as recorded in the Office of the City Register, County, City and State of New York. The Timeshare Unit is also designated as Block: 1009 and Lot 37. Said premises known as 102 WEST 57TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10019 Approximate amount of lien $16,974.11 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 850321/2023. HARVEY STEVEN MARS, ESQ., Referee DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590 DLG# 39174

Block 1409 and Lot 1001. Said premises known as 157 East 74 th Street, Medical Unit No. 1, New York, New York. Approximate amount of lien $251,391.84 plus attorney’s fees and costs as awarded in the judgment, along with interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 156127/2024 JEFFREY R. MILLER, ESQ., Referee Levin & Glasser, P.C., Attorney(s) for Plaintiff, 551 Fifth Avenue, Ste. 1200, New York, NY 10176

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF VNESS, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 2/19/26. Office Loc. NY County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to: Vness, LLC at 1001 Ave of the Americas, 2nd Fl, NY, NY 10018. Reg. Agent: eResidentAgent, Inc. 1 Rockefeller Plaza Ste 1204, NY, NY 10020. P/B/A: 1001 Ave of the Americas, 2nd Fl, NY, NY 10018. Purpose: any lawful activity. STUDIO ARMANDO AGUIRRE LLC. Arts. of Org. filed SSNY 03/18/2025. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent for process & shall mail copy to: THE LLC, 73 W 11th St, Apt 4R, New York, NY 10011. Registered agent: United States Corporation Agents, Inc., 7014 13th Ave, Ste 202, Brooklyn, NY 11228. Purpose: any lawful act or activity. KYRIAKOULI GROUP LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 6/10/26. Office in New York Co. SSNY desig. agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 808 Columbus Ave (17m), (c/o Pauline Cho), New York, NY 10015. Any lawful purpose VTID LLC filed Arts. of Org. with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/6/2025. Office: New York County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: The LLC, 2 Cornelia St, Apt 801, New York, NY 10014. Purpose: any lawful act. 169 OXFORD BLVD LLC filed Arts. of Org. with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on 3/2/2026. Office: New York County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o St. Marks Hotel, 2 St. Marks Place, New York, NY 10003. Purpose: any lawful act. YS NEXUS LAW PLLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 05/28/2026. Office in New York Co. SSNY desig. agent of PLLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 1608 Nogales Street, Suite C13, Rowland Heights, CA 91748. Any lawful purpose.

JWCM COF I MF ADMIN, LLC Auth. filed w/ SSNY 8/3/26. Off. in NY Co. Cert of Form. filed w/ SSDE 7/31/26. Process served to SSNY - desig. as agt. of LLC & mailed to 445 Park Ave., Ste. 1600, NY, NY 10022. Add. maintd. in DE: 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801. Name & add. of auth. officer in DE where Cert of Form filed: SSDE, Div. of Corp, John G Townsend Bldg, 401 Federal St, Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Any lawful purpose. Notice of Qualification of INTERNATIONAL AFFILIATES LLC, d/b/a NEXTGUARD INSURANCE AGENCY LLC. Application for Authority filed with Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 05/20/2026. Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Florida on 06/14/2019. LLC is not required to maintain an office in Florida. Principal office of LLC: 3000 S Ocean Drive, Apt 608, Hollywood, FL 33019. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: International Affiliates LLC, 3000 S Ocean Drive, Apt 608, Hollywood, FL 33019. Address of the officer in Florida where a copy of the Articles of Organization may be obtained: Secretary of State, State of Florida Division of Corporations, 2415 N Monroe Street, Suite 810, Tallahassee, FL 32303. Purpose: any lawful activity. NOTICE OF QUALIFICATION OF MILLS VINTAGE LLC. Appl. for Auth. filed with the Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 8/3/26. Office Loc. NY County. LLC formed in FL on 12/11/14. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to: MILLS VINTAGE LLC at PO Box 65063, Los Angeles, CA 90065. Reg. Agent: eResidentAgent, Inc. 1 Rockefeller Plaza Ste 1204, NY, NY 10020. P/B/A: 2532 Garfield St, Hollywood, FL 33020. Cert. of LLC filed with Secy. of State of FL located at R.A. Gray Building, 500 S Bronough St, Tallahassee, FL 32399. Purpose: any

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT: NEW YORK COUNTY. FLUSHING BANK, Pltf. vs. CORY REALTY, INC., et al, Defts. Index #850032/2022. Pursuant to an amended judgment of foreclosure and sale entered July 15, 2026, I will sell at public auction in Room 130 of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY on September 22, 2026 at 2:15 p.m. premises k/a 747 St. Nicholas Avenue, New York, NY 10031 a/k/a Block 2062, Lot 132. Said property beginning at a point on the Westerly line of St. Nicholas Avenue, distance 93 ft. 8 inches North of the Northwesterly corner of 147th St. and St. Nicholas Avenue, being a plot 100 ft. x 18 ft. 9 inches. Approximate amount of judgment is $2,965,996.90 plus costs and interest. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed amended judgment and terms of sale. JERRY A. MEROLA, Referee. WESTERMAN, BALL EDERER, MILLER, ZUCKER & SHARFSTEIN, LLP, Attys for Pltf., 1201 RXR Plaza, Uniondale, NY 11556 #103144 NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT ‑ COUNTY OF NEW YORK. HNY CLUB SUITES OWNERS ASSOCIATION INC., BY AND THROUGH ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Plaintiff ‑against‑ PEARLIE DIANE MANNING A/K/A DIANE MANNING AS HEIR AT LAW AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ROBERT L. MANNING, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated July 8, 2026, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Supreme Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY, in the courtroom designated by the posting outside of Room 130, on September 15, 2026 at 2:15 p.m. premises being an undivided ownership interest as tenant‑in‑common with other owners in the Timeshare Unit in the building located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY; known as The NYH Condominium. Together with an appurtenant undivided 0.0381% in common interest percentage. This is a foreclosure on ownership interest in a timeshare unit, a studio penthouse on a floating use basis every year, in accordance with and subject to declarations. Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions dated October 27, 2003 and November 3, 2003 as CFRN # 2003000442512 as recorded in the Office of the City Register, County, City and State of New York. The Timeshare Unit is also designated as Block 1006 and Lot 1302. Said premises known as 1335 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, NEW YORK, NY 10019 Approximate amount of lien $28,982.63 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT ‑ COUNTY OF NEW YORK. 57TH ST. VACATION OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC., BY AND THROUGH ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Plaintiff ‑against‑ MARY C. REGAN, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated July 21, 2026, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Supreme Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY, in the courtroom designated by the posting outside of Room 130, on September 15, 2026 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County of New York, City and State of New York, being an undivided ownership interest as tenant‑in‑common with other owners in the Timeshare Unit in the building located at 102 West 57th Street, New York, NY. Together with an appurtenant undivided .009864% common interest percentage. This is a foreclosure on ownership interest in a timeshare unit, a studio penthouse on a floating use basis every year, in accordance with and subject to declarations. Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions dated October 10, 2008 and October 31, 2008 as CFRN # 2008000426142 as recorded in the Office of the City Register, County, City and State of New York. The Timeshare Unit is also designated as Block 1009 and Lot 37. Said premises known as 102 WEST 57TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10019 Approximate amount of lien $74,553.96 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 850166/2023. ROBERTA ASHKIN, ESQ., Referee DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590 DLG# 39133 {* AMSTERDAM*} NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT ‑ COUNTY OF NEW YORK. 57TH ST. VACATION OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC., BY AND THROUGH ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Plaintiff ‑against‑ JODY ANNE FLEISCHMANN, THEODORE WILLIAM FLEISCHMANN, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a

SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF NEW YORK BOARD OF MANAGERS OF SAGA HOUSE CONDOMINIUM, Plaintiff -against- HANNA JESIONOWSKA PRACTICE L.L.C , et. al., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated September 8, 2025 and entered on September 10, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on September 1, 2026 at 2:15 p.m., in the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street New York, New York 10007, in the courtroom designated by the posting outside of Room 130, or at such other location within the Courthouse as may be designated by the Clerk of the Court and/or the Office of Court Administration, the premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, City, County and State of New York, known as Medical Unit No. 1 in the condominium building known as “Saga House Condominium” together with an undivided 6.19% interest in the common elements as described in the Declaration of Saga House Condominium.

{* AMSTERDAM*} NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT ‑ COUNTY OF NEW YORK. 57TH ST. VACATION OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC., BY AND THROUGH ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Plaintiff ‑against‑ MEMG INTERNATIONAL, LTD, A REPUBLIC OF MAURITIUS COMPANY, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated May 28, 2026, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Supreme Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY, in the courtroom designated by the posting outside of Room 130, on September 1, 2026 at 2:15 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County of New York, City and State of New York, being an undivided ownership interest as tenant‑in‑common with other owners in the Timeshare Unit in the building located at 102 West 57th Street, New York, NY. Together with an appurtenant undivided .015838% common interest percentage. This is a foreclosure on ownership interest in a timeshare unit, a studio penthouse on a floating use basis every year, in accordance with and subject to declarations. Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions dated October 10, 2008 and October 31, 2008 as CFRN # 2008000426142 as recorded in the Office of the City Register, County, City and State of New York. The Timeshare Unit is also designated as Block 1009 and Lot 37. Said premises known as 102 WEST 57TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10019 Approximate amount of lien $73,393.97 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 850124/2023. JEFFREY R. MILLER, ESQ., Referee DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590 DLG# 39098 {* AMSTERDAM*} NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

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- MANHATTAN SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NEW YORK. QPTF LLC, Plaintiff against 224 SAPPHIRE LLC, et al., Defendant(s). Pursuant to that certain Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale and Decision + Order on Motion dated May 28, 2026 and entered on June 5, 2026, , as amended by the Order Correcting the Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered herein and dated July 21, 2026 (collectively, the “Judgment”), I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Supreme Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY, in the courtroom designated by the posting outside of Room 130, on Tuesday, September 1, 2026 at 2:15 p.m. premises as follows. Parcel I: Overall Description ALL that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, City, County and State of New York, bounded and described as follows: BEGINNING at the corner formed by the intersection of the Easterly side of Broadway with the Southerly side of 57th Street; RUNNING THENCE Easterly along the Southerly side of 57th Street, 141 feet 4 inches to a point on the Southerly side of 57th Street distant 310 feet 1 inch Westerly from the corner formed by the intersection of the Southerly side of 57th Street with the Westerly side of Seventh Avenue; THENCE Southerly parallel with Seventh Avenue and along a line forming an exterior angle of 90 degrees 05 minutes 00 seconds with the last mentioned course, 116 feet 10 ¼ inches to the Northerly line of land heretofore conveyed by the Century Realty Bond and Trust Company to The Broadway Tabernacle Society; THENCE Westerly along the Northerly line of said land conveyed to the said Broadway Tabernacle Society and along a line forming an interior angle of 96 degrees 09 minutes 35 seconds with the last mentioned course, 91 feet 3 3/8 inches to a point on the Easterly side of Broadway distant 80 feet Northerly from the corner formed by the intersection of the Easterly side of Broadway with the Northerly side of 56th Street, measured along the said Easterly side of Broadway; and THENCE Northerly along the Easterly side of Broadway, 136 feet 2 1/8 inches to the point of place of BEGINNING Parcel II: Block 1028 Lots 1101, 1103, 1104, 1106 The Condominium Units (the “Units”) in the building (the “Building”) known as The 224 West 57 Leasehold Condominium said Units being designated and described as (see attached “Unit Schedule”) in a certain declaration dated December 5, 2011, made by the sponsor pursuant to Article 9-B of the real property law of the State of New York (the “Condominium Act”), establishing a plan for condominium ownership of the Building and land (the “Land”) upon which

the Building is situate, which declaration was recorded in the New York County Office of the Register of The City of New York on December 30, 2011, as CRFN 2011000453432, as amended by first amendment to declaration dated as of April 10, 2012, recorded June 27, 2012, as CRFN 2012000254472 (which declaration and amendment thereto are collectively referred to as the “Declaration”). These Units are also designated as tax lots (see attached Unit Schedule) in block 1028 of the Borough of Manhattan on the tax map of the Real Property Assessment Department of The City of New York and on the floor plans as filed with said assessment departments as condominium plan no. 2306 and also filed in the City Register’s Office on December 28, 2011, maps recorded on December 30, 2011, as CRFN 2011000453433, as amended by condominium plan no. 2306A, maps recorded on June 27, 2012 as CRFN 2012000254473. TOGETHER with an undivided interest in the general common elements (as such term is defined in the Declaration) (see below “Unit Schedule”). 224 WEST 57 LEASEHOLD CONDOMINIUM UNIT SCHEDULE Units Tax Lot Percentage Interest in General Common Elements OFF 1101 96.7500% RET-A 1103 2.4672% RET-B 1104 0.7827% ROOF 1106 0.0001% For information only: Old Tax Lots 45, 47, 48, 49 and 50 which became base tax lot 47 n/k/a Tax Lots 1101, 1103, 1104, and 1106 f/k/a tax Lots 1101 through 1106. Interested bidders must appear at the aforementioned location, time, and day of the public auction with at least ten percent (10%) of the sum bid, with all certified and bank checks made payable to Jeffrey R. Miller, Esq., as referee. Interest bidders who do not appear with funds, pursuant to the Foreclosure Judgment, may not be permitted to bid or otherwise participate in the auction. The approximate amount of the lien, pursuant to the Foreclosure Judgment is $158,741,981.64 plus interest and costs. Said premises (the “Premises”) will be sold together as a single parcel and is further subject to the provision of the Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 850134/2024. JEFFREY R. MILLER, ESQ., Referee New York, NY 10019 Holland & Knight LLP Attorney(s) for Plaintiff

195LEGAL HELP WANTED 101 NOTICES 787 Seventh Avenue, 31st Floor New York, NY 10019 {* AMSTERDAM*} NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT ‑ COUNTY OF NEW YORK. HNY CLUB SUITES OWNERS ASSOCIATION INC., BY AND THROUGH ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Plaintiff ‑against‑ THIRUNAVUKARASU THAYAPARAN, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated May 12, 2026, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the New York County Supreme Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY, in the courtroom designated by the posting outside of Room 130, on Tuesday, September 8, 2026 at 2:15 p.m., premises being an undivided ownership interest as tenant‑in‑common with other owners in the Timeshare Unit in the building located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY; known as The NYH Condominium. Together with an appurtenant undivided 0.0381% in common interest percentage. This is a foreclosure on ownership interest in a timeshare unit, a studio penthouse on a floating use basis every year, in accordance with and subject to declarations. Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions dated October 27, 2003 and November 3, 2003 as CFRN # 2003000442512 as recorded in the Office of the City Register, County, City and State of New York. The Timeshare Unit is also designated as Block 1006 and Lot 1302. Said premises known as 1335 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, NEW YORK, NY 10019 Approximate amount of lien $26,609.81 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. Index Number 850293/2023. DORON LEIBY, ESQ., Referee DRUCKMAN LAW GROUP PLLC Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 242 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590 DLG# 39268 {* AMSTERDAM*} Notice of Formation of MAILLARD ART SERVICES LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/07/26. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 23 E 73rd St., NY, NY 10021. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of RHODES CREDIT PARTNERS II LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy.

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of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/23/26. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 120 W. 45th St., 2nd Fl., NY, NY 10036. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the addr. of its princ. office. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the addr. of its princ. office. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of 130E6312B, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/26/26. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of BOW LIFT LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/07/26. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 200 Park Ave. South, Fl. 8, NY, NY 10003. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the addr. of its princ. office. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of JOANNA VARGAS MANAGEMENT LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/08/26. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 501 5th Ave., Fl. 3, NY, NY 10017. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the addr. of its princ. office. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of SWIRL PROJECTS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/26/26. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 41 Fifth Ave., Apt. 15A, NY, NY 10003. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Isabelle D. Conner at the princ. office of the LLC. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of AVID RISK PARTNERS, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/16/26. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: Avid Holdings, LLC, 14 East 33rd St., Ste. 7S, NY, NY 10016. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

Notice of Formation of STRETCH WANNIGAN 2, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/30/26. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 97 Perry St., Apt. 4, NY, NY 10014. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the addr. of its princ. office. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of PONYGIRL PRODUCTIONS LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/05/26. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 05/26/26. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Bennet L. Schonfeld, 183 Madison Ave., Ste. 1602, NY, NY 10016. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State of the State of DE, 401 Federal St., Ste. #4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of KRANE NEW ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE FUND 3 L.P. Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/03/26. Office location: NY County. LP formed in Delaware (DE) on 07/29/26. Princ. office of LP: 280 Park Ave., 32nd Fl., NY, NY 10017. Duration of LP is Perpetual. SSNY designated as agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Name and addr. of each general partner are available from SSNY. DE addr. of LP: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of LP filed with Secy. of State of the State of DE, 401 Federal St., Ste.4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of SARA ADLER ADVISORY, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/23/26. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 01/27/26. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 40 E. 83rd St., Apt. 6S, NY, NY 10028. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901.

101 LEGAL NOTICES Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of SOUND POINT U.S. DIRECT LENDING FUND IV (RN FEEDER) L.P. Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/17/26. Office location: NY County. LP formed in Delaware (DE) on 05/28/26. Princ. office of LP: 375 Park Ave., 34th Fl., NY, NY 10152. Duration of LP is Perpetual. SSNY designated as agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Name and addr. of each general partner are available from SSNY. DE addr. of LP: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of LP filed with DE Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of WFFA ADVISORS, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/07/26. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 02/26/25. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 237 West 35th St., Ste. 1001, NY, NY 10001. DE addr. of LLC: c/o Corporation Service Co., 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State of DE, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of SOUND POINT U.S. DIRECT LENDING FUND IV (ONSHORE) L.P. Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/17/26. Office location: NY County. LP formed in Delaware (DE) on 05/29/26. Princ. office of LP: 375 Park Ave., 34th Fl., NY, NY 10152. Duration of LP is Perpetual. SSNY designated as agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Name and addr. of each general partner are available from SSNY. DE addr. of LP: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of LP filed with DE Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of CHARTBOOST, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/06/26. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 12/10/24. Princ. office of LLC: 26 O’Farrell

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St., 10th Fl., San Francisco, CA 94108. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Mobile in-app programmatic advertising and monetization platform.

Notice of Qualification of CIG DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/17/26. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 07/11/25. Princ. office of LLC: 2101 Wilson Blvd., Ste. 525, Arlington, VA 22201. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Attn: Marisa McGaughey at the princ. office of the LLC. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 198081674. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 401 Federal St. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

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Notice is hereby given that a license, serial #NA-0340-25103028 for beer, wine & liquor has been applied for by the undersigned to sell beer, wine & liquor at retail in a restaurant under the ABC Law at 994 Columbus Ave., New York, NY 10025 for on-premises consumption; Limone LLC

Notice of Qualification of AP CREDIT SOLUTIONS HOLDINGS (AIV) II, L.P. Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/08/25. Office location: NY County. LP formed in Delaware (DE) on 12/26/24. Princ. office of LP: Attn: General Counsel, 9 W. 57th St., 43rd Fl., NY, NY 10019. Duration of LP is Perpetual. SSNY designated as agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the Partnership at the princ. office of the LP. Name and addr. of each general partner are available from SSNY. DE addr. of LP: c/o Corporation Service Co., 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of LP filed with The Secy. of State of the State of DE, Dept. of State, Div. of Corps., John Townsend Bldg., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

101 LEGAL NOTICES

NOTICE is hereby given that a license, number NA-0370-24135212 for liquor, wine, beer & cider has been applied for by the undersigned to sell liquor, wine, beer & cider at retail in a bar/tavern under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at 4371 3rd Ave; Bronx, NY 10457 in Bronx County for on premises consumption. Zion Restaurant and Lounge Corp d/b/a Zion Restaurant and Lounge

Notice of Qualification of AI Infrastructure OpCo II, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/01/26. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 03/04/26. Princ. office of LLC: 500 Howard St., San Francisco, CA 94105. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, DE Div. of Corps., PO Box 898, Dover, DE 19903. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of OFF THE COUCH CLUB HOLDINGS LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/24/26. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 07/23/26. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 40 E. 83rd St., Apt. 6S, NY, NY 10028. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

1 • February 20, 2025 - February 26, 2025

Notice of Formation of DATAMINER, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/18/26. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Dr. Albert Sebag, 145 East 76th St., Apt. 5A, NY, NY 10021. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of BOWHEAD MISSION SOLUTIONS, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/21/26. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Alaska (AK) on 01/23/14. Princ. office of LLC: 6564 Loisdale Ct., Ste. 900, Springfield, VA 22150. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-

2543. Cert. of Form. filed with Commissioner, 333 Willoughby Ave., 9th Fl., Juneau, AK 99801. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of GOLAN CONSULTING LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 05/11/26. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 04/22/26. Princ. office of LLC: 217 W 18th St. #81, NY, NY 10113. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the princ. office of the LLC. DE addr. of LLC: c/o Corporation Service Co., 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State of DE, Dept. of State, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of BLACKSTONE TACTICAL OPPORTUNITIES FUND (VG CO-INVEST) L.P. Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/15/26. Office location: NY County. LP formed in Delaware (DE) on 05/28/26. Princ. office of LP: 345 Park Ave., NY, NY 10154. Duration of LP is Perpetual. SSNY designated as agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Name and addr. of each general partner are available from SSNY. DE addr. of LP: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of LP filed with DE Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., #4, Dover, DE 19801. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

101 LEGAL NOTICES

Notice of Qualification of 5FLR23, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/10/26. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 07/09/26. Princ. office of LLC: 211 S Main St., Joplin, MO 64801-2307. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. TO DISPLAY YOUR LEGAL, LLC

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Unaccompanied minors Continued from page 2

Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008. However, with millions being withheld from Acacia and other similar providers, legal support is at risk. “Check the history books: 20 years ago, that bipartisan law was signed by a Republican president, George Bush, way back in 2008, and for good reason,” said Hochul. “They knew that these children were endangered. Unaccompanied minors without legal representation were more likely to be trafficked, more likely to be abused, more likely to be sent back in dangerous situations.” After the expiration of Acacia, the Trump administration reportedly awarded a $158 million no-bid contract to Our Rescue (formerly known as Operation Underground Railroad) to represent unaccompanied minors. The controversial anti-trafficking organization stems from Tim Ballard, a former ICE agent who inspired the film

“Sound of Freedom.” Ballard resigned from leading the nonprofit after sexual misconduct allegations a few months after the movie became a surprising, but polarizing, box office hit in 2023. “The federal government will tell you that they have fulfilled this contract with other legal services providers, yet they have selected firms that lack the credibility and the seriousness to protect these children,” said Mamdani. “Take one organization, whose founder and former CEO, a retired ICE agent, resigned due to sexual misconduct allegations. Make no mistake about it: The refusal to renew this contract with providers who specialize in this work is nothing less than a deportation order for children as young as five years old.” New York Immigration Coalition president and CEO Murad Awawdeh joined Hochul, James, and Mamdani on stage.

Later, he told the Amsterdam News that he also holds concerns about contracting Our Rescue, which does not openly boast immigration legal services on its website and focuses on aiding law enforcement. “When you are representing someone as an attorney, your job is to represent the best interests of your client,” said Awawdeh, “and when an administration is handing a contract that size to a law firm in Texas without a bidding process, without any real oversight, that really raises concern for all of us. What is the intent of it? What does it mean? Are they being told we don’t know to tell people to self-deport or telling them to sign away their rights?” The announcement also underscored an upcoming state law banning local law enforcement, including in nonsanctuary cities, from formally cooperating with federal immigration enforcement. It goes into effect next week and will force multiple agencies, including the Nassau County Police Department, to terminate 287(g) agreements allowing local law enforcement to collaborate with ICE.

the document was published, including within Trump’s first administration and Stephen Miller. But that almost misses the point. ble to the public. Project 2025 was published for everyThat may ultimately be Project 2025’s one to read. We were all told what its most consequential lesson. It wasn’t authors wanted to accomplish, and simply a list of policies; it was an in- we were told over and over about the struction manual for changing the consequences, despite Donald Trump machinery of government so those pol- falsely claiming he had nothing to do icies could happen faster. with it. To be clear, not every immigration Now less than two years into his action taken by the Trump adminis- second presidency, Americans no tration originated from Project 2025. longer need to debate campaign rhetMany of these ideas existed long before oric. They can compare the blueprint

Immigration Korner Continued from page 14

Project 2025 anticipated something broader than individual immigration policies. It envisioned restructuring the government itself so immigration restrictionists would exercise greater control over the agencies implementing those policies. The American Immigration Council warned that many such changes could happen quietly through staffing decisions, budgets, and internal directives largely invisi-

Jets and Giants Continued from page 32

Nabers make steady progress from a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee and two subsequent procedures to repair the knee last October and this past May. On Monday, the third-year wideout took part in full-speed live drills for the first time since the injury occurred 11 months ago on Sept. 28. “My soul has been dead for so long just being away from the game,” Nabers said.

NBA

“So just getting out there and having my teammates behind me, [I] kind of felt that soul come back to life out there.” Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart almost had his soul knocked out of him by Vikings safety Jay Ward on a blitz late in the first quarter in his team’s 13-10 loss. He then underwent a mandatory examination in the blue tent on the Giants’ sideline where players are evaluated for possible concussions. Dart was ultimately cleared and returned to the game. He missed two games last season, his

title. Wait! Not so fast! The trade was put on hold while the league investigated whether Clippers owner Steve Ballmer shaken. Without acquiring Brown as well, may have intentionally circumvented the 76ers would not have been in the run- the NBA’s salary cap through the now-dening. Now they are one of the favorites to funct environmental company Aspiration. win next season’s chip. Ballmer was a chief investor in the company, putting in $50 million, which afterward Intrigue signed Leonard to a $28 million no-show The Los Angeles Clippers, in the midst endorsement deal. On Monday, after an of a passive rebuild, traded two-time exhaustive investigation conducted by Finals MVP and 2026 All-NBA Second the New York law firm Wachtell, Lipton & Team superstar Kawhi Leonard to the To- Katz, it was concluded that there was no ronto Raptors in July to reunite him with evidence the Clippers engaged in salary the franchise that he carried to the 2019 cap circumvention. As of AmNews press

first in the NFL, due to being in concussion protocol, and was annoyed by being taken to the tent on Saturday. Dart had five visits to the tent last season and was officially diagnosed with one concussion. The hit delivered by Ward was a reminder of how on one play and one instance, a team’s possibilities and promise can be instantly altered. The Giants will meet the Miami Dolphins on the road this Saturday (4 p.m.) and the Jets will be in Pittsburgh tomorrow (7 p.m.) to take on the Steelers. time, the trade was still pending.

Continued from page 30

Drama The Buss siblings want their loot! With the exception of one. In a nutshell, the Buss family, spearheaded by Jeanie Buss, sold their 66% controlling stake in the Los Angeles Lakers to Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter late last year for a record $10 billion — the most ever paid for a North American sports franchise. In a stunning twist, Walter then sold the Lakers to media mogul Bob Iger and venture capitalist Joshua Kushner last week, shocking the sports and business industries. The

August 20, 2026 - August 26, 2026 • 29

Deputy Chancellor Hawkins Continued from page 2

transition has its own circumstances, the loss of the only Black female Deputy Chancellor in the nation’s largest school system cannot simply be viewed in isolation. “It deserves thoughtful reflection and honest conversation. As parent leaders in Central Brooklyn, we know that our children benefit when leadership reflects the diversity of the communities it serves,” the statement continued. Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels praised Hawkins for helping grow the city’s early childhood education programs and tackle payment delays to providers, in a statement that appeared in Chalkbeat New York. “Over the last few years, Deputy Chancellor Simone Hawkins was a leader in making New York City more affordable and accessible for working families.” with the immigration system taking shape before their eyes. Project 2025 was supposed to be a warning about what could happen. 19 months in, the question is no longer whether Trump embraced Project 2025, but how much of Project 2025 America has already become. Felicia J. Persaud is the founder and publisher of NewsAmericasNow.com, the only daily syndicated newswire and digital platform dedicated exclusively to Caribbean Diaspora and Black immigrant news across the Americas.

The Liberty Continued from page 32

WNBA history to reach 3,000 points for a single team in the loss. The three-time WNBA champion is also 10th on the league’s all-time scoring list. New York has three more games before the 17-day league-wide break for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, which will be held in Berlin, Germany, from September 4-13. Stewart is the lone Liberty on the U.S. roster. six Buss siblings, who each netted roughly $1 billion off of the first sale, stand to make $370 million more apiece if they sell their remaining 17.8% stake. All want to sell except Jeanie, who became the Lakers governor when her father, Jerry Buss, died in February 2013, and has held the job since. As governor, a designated role each of the NBA’s 30 franchises fills, she is the Lakers’ primary decision-maker on business and basketball matters, a role the 64-year-old does not want to relinquish. The family drama is torn from the pages of the scripts of the HBO series “Succession” and is headed for a contentious legal fight.

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THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS S P O R T S

For the NBA, the maxim all publicity is good publicity is amplified By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor

Longtime LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, driving against Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Porzingis during an NBA play-in tournament game this past April, has been a central figure of the league’s offseason drama. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

in carrying the sport deep into the next decade. But while the summer league was in session, Betrayal. Suspense. Intrigue. the NBA saw… Drama. The NBA offseason has kept the league in the head- Betrayal lines and at the forefront of news …The Boston Celtics traded cycles like no other in recent 29-year-old, five-time All-Star memory. The Knicks winning Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia their first league championship 76ers for 36-year-old Paul George, since 1973 was the divine event two first-round picks and two that captured the eyes and emo- second rounders. While George tions of millions of hardcore and will someday be inducted into the casual sports fans around the Basketball Hall of Fame, he is well world. Then the new contingent into the downside of his career. No of draftees — led by No. 1 pick A.J. matter how quantitatively Celtics Dybantsa (Washington Wizards), president of basketball operations No. 2 Darryn Peterson (Utah Brad Stevens justified the illogical Jazz), and No. 3 Cameron Boozer deal, the calculus seemed to have (Memphis Grizzlies) — elicit- roots in Brown’s unabashed and ed palpable optimism with their unfiltered opinions on basketball, Summer League showings, sug- social, and political issues nearly gesting they will join Victor Wem- as much as it did the franchise’s fibanyama, Anthony Edwards, nancial outlook. In trading Brown, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, the Celtics jettisoned the player and Cooper Flagg, among others, who won the Finals and Eastern

Conference Finals MVP awards in the team’s 2024 championship run. Brown joined the Sixers in the middle of his prime as one of the NBA’s best players and leaders. Furthermore, the trade had a domino effect that was the tipping point for… Suspense …LeBron James signed a twoyear, free-agent contract with the 76ers. After James’ longtime friend and agent, Rich Paul, CEO of Klutch Sports, informed ESPN reporter Shams Charania on June 30 that James would not be returning to the Lakers, the LBJ watch was on. The 76ers, Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers were in a three-horse race to win the James sweepstakes. When he announced on July 24 that he signed an $8 million deal with the 76ers, the basketball world was See NBA page 29

Attorney Marvellous Iheukwumere to be inducted into Columbia’s Athletic HOF By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews Columbia University recently announced its Athletics Hall of Fame class of 2026, which will be officially inducted on Oct. 22. Among the honorees is former sprinter Marvellous Iheukwumere, class of 2014, who since graduating from Harvard Law School has had a prestigious legal career. Iheukwumere credits attending Columbia with much of her success on the track and professionally. Of Nigerian heritage, Iheukwumere grew up in Texas. As a talented track athlete, she was recruited by several universities and committed to Arizona State. After attending a college fair, her mother brought Columbia to her attention, encouraging her to think about planning for life after track. “I think back to my first week at Columbia; I set foot on that campus…and wanted to be the best student and also the best athlete,” said Iheukwumere, who received First-Team All-Ivy honors and graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude. “Getting this Athletics Hall of Fame honor is capping that goal I had for myself. It shows how

Former Columbia University track and field standout Marvellous Iheukwumere, today a corporate attorney, will be inducted in October into the University’s athletics hall of fame. (Columbia Athletics photo; Marvellous Iheukwumere photo)

much my time at that school made an impact.” Being a student-athlete built resilience and the ability to execute a plan and achieve goals. After several years as a paralegal at the NBA, she decided to attend law school and forge a legal career in sports and entertainment. Today, Iheukwumere is associate corporate counsel for Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios.

“I’m a corporate attorney, so a lot of what I’m doing is closing deals, and closing deals is like running track and winning meets,” she said. “Being able to have that winning mentality and also adaptability that sport teaches you has been so crucial in my legal career and also knowing how to manage time. As an attorney in a highpowered career that requires a ton of discipline and focus, sports has

been the foundation. … Being able to deliver results, being strong, tough, and courageous are all things I’ve been able to pivot into my legal career.” Iheukwumere attended the 2024 Olympics in Paris as a spectator and often watches track and field competitions. Now based in Los Angeles, she noted the city is feeling the excitement for the rapidly approaching 2028 Olym-

pics. It has sparked her own interest in some sort of athletic return. “My athletic juices are flowing,” Iheukwumere said. “I wonder, do I want to start coaching a local team or do I even want to step back on the track in a masters kind of role? Overall, I have positive feelings about track. As I look to the future and having kids, I definitely want my kids to play sports.”

August 20, 2026 - August 26, 2026 • 31

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS S P O R T S

Jalin Turner impresses at UFC 330 in the City of Brotherly Love By DERREL JOHNSON Special to the AmNews Jalin Turner needed only 39 seconds to dispatch Kauê Fernandes via knockout in their lightweight bout at UFC 330 in Philadelphia this past Saturday. The 31-year-old Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor from Southern California pounced on Fernandes after dropping him with a left for the quick finish. “I was trying to get a read on what was going to happen, kind of visualize what was going to happen, and 39 seconds was not in any of my predictions, manifestations, prayers, nothing,” Turner said of his win. “I’m just thankful to be healthy. I’m thankful to be able to go back to my family. I’m thankful my opponent is healthy.” On a card that featured several African American mixed martial arts (MMA) talent, Chidi Njokuani defeated Joel Álvarez by unanimous decision, Charles Johnson took down Eduardo Chapolin by submission, Donte Johnson dismissed Eric McCo-

2-ranked Bryce Henry (7-0) will face No.1-ranked Carlos Trinidad-Snake (7-1). In the co-main event, Cody Vidal will battle Joseph Creer in a light heavyweight championship. Also tomorrow, Puerto Ricanborn, Brooklyn-raised Amanda Serrano will defend her WBA and WBO women’s featherweight titles against Lucrecia Anabella Manzur in California. On Saturday in Las Vegas, Rolando Romero will defend his WBA welterweight championship against Brooklyn’s Teofimo Lopez Jr., who lost to Shakur Stevenson earlier this year in a light welterweight championship clash. “I’m fighting a big puncher at 147 and going up to that weight for the first time,” Lopez said of moving up seven pounds. “We’re taking a risk, because it’s no risk, Jalin Turner punches Kauê Fernandes of Brazil in a lightweight fight on Saturday during UFC 330 at Xfinity no reward. I’m just focusing on Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) my objectives so I can come out victorious…I think Rolly’s skills nico by knockout, Tresean Gore fights, Islam Makhachev (welTomorrow, Bare Knuckle Fight- are underappreciated. He conearned a win against Vicente terweight) and Mackenzie Dern ing Championship (BKFC) Fight trols the pace and makes it his Luque by unanimous decision, (women’s strawweight) both re- Night: Mohegan Sun will take fight; everyone overlooks that. and Neil Magny notched a victo- tained their titles by unanimous place from the Mohegan Sun But he’s not underrated on the ry over Ramiz Brahimaj by tech- decision in front of an arena-re- Arena in Uncasville, Connect- stature side. He’s a world chamnical knockout. In the two title cord crowd of 19,238. icut. In the main event, No. pion for a reason.”

Denver Onyx claim back-to-back Women’s Elite Rugby championships By LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews The 2026 Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) season concluded with a familiar scene — the Denver Onyx lifting the championship Legacy Cup. In the league’s second season championship, on August 8, the Onyx defeated the Bay Breakers 24-17 at Infinity Park in Glendale, Colorado. “Going into the season it was pretty much on the top of our list of what we wanted to do, to be able to come back and prove winning last year wasn’t a fluke,” said wing fullback Kaitlyn Broughton. “We started the season off with a loss to the Bay Breakers, who we ended up beating in the championship. It was something that really lit a fire under us.” That early season loss was the only match the Onyx lost all season, finishing regular season WER play 9-1. “It was making sure that we had each other’s backs,” said Broughton. “We did everything that we needed to do, whether it was extra skill practices, making sure we were getting in our recovery, getting together and making sure that we had our struc-

The Denver Onyx celebrate capturing the Legacy Cup in winning the Women’s Elite Rugby league championship. (Women’s Elite Rugby photo)

ture down. Playing together and continuing to have fun.” WER is a professional league, but most of the players balance playing with full-time jobs. Broughton is a data integration developer for the State of Colorado and says she, her teammates and all the players in the league are willing to sacrifice their time

to grow the sport of rugby. “[Playing professionally] means everything, especially knowing the women who came before us didn’t have these opportunities,” said Broughton. “To be able to take what they talked about and now build it for the women who will come after us, is something that’s just so beautiful. To watch

this idea come to life and be a part of growing it for the generations to come is amazing.” Broughton also coaches youth rugby and even has a part-time job at an ice cream shop, but her rugby dreams are well known by her employers, who are incredibly supportive. At 32, she knows her time to play the sport she loves is lim-

ited, so she’s giving it her all. One of three Black players on the Onyx, she hopes her presence helps foster diversity in the sport. “It’s understanding that at times there will be sacrifices and also understanding that there are some of us that get really lucky with the people we have in our lives,” added Broughton.

32 • August 20, 2026 - August 26, 2026

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Sports The Jets and Giants wage a battle of attrition against the NFL preseason AM News

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor

Jets running back Breece Hall will be sidelined for the next few weeks with a strained groin sustained in practice on Monday. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

There is an obvious reason why virtually every NFL team limits the snaps its best players take during preseason games. Averting injuries, especially severe ones, is paramount in a collision sport where bodily harm comes with the territory. Each of the league’s 32 teams plays three preseason games leading up to the debut of the regular season. Both the Jets and Giants were at home at MetLife Stadium for their preseason openers. The Jets faced the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Friday night, and the Giants hosted the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday afternoon. Jets starting quarterback Geno Smith was ruled out in the hours leading up to the game because of swelling and sore-

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ness in his left ankle that emerged during field is valuable preparation. 06/25/26“Every rep is important. Whether that’s a joint practice with the Buccaneers last week. Meanwhile, Buccaneers starting in practice or a game… every chance I quarterback Baker Mayfield was also on get to play, every chance I get to practice, the sidelines. every opportunity is just as important as The Jets went with rookie fourth-round the next...” pick Cade Klubnik out of Clemson to AM start,NewsThe list of notable injured Jets reflects the and he looked like a player with 49 college variable of football that patently dictates 07/02/26 games and 1,432 passing attempts over four outcomes in the wins and losses columns. years on his resume. Poised and in control, Starting running back Breece Hall exited the 22-year-old led the Jets to two scoring practice on Monday with a groin strain, and drives in his two possessions. Glenn is pointing to Week 1 of the regular Regarding Smith’s ankle, Glenn said season on Sept. 13 against the Tennessee AM News there is “nothing to be alarmed about” Titans for his return. after the 24-16 loss to the Buccaneers. 07/09/26Rookie first round pick (16th overall), tight Smith was back at practice this week and end Kenyon Sadiq was shelved for the preaddressed the media on Tuesday about season early in training camp due to a sethis intentions for playing this preseason back from hernia surgery performed in May. moving forward. Glenn is hopeful he’ll be ready for Week 1. “I’ll leave it up to coach but you know my Rookie cornerback D’Angelo Ponds, the AM News job is to get ready and help this team get 50th overall pick, is recovering from a late ready to be ready to play Week 1,” he 07/16/26 said. July calf strain and should be ready for the “But whenever I get a chance to play, as I Titans, according to Glenn. told you guys, I look forward to it, but I also The Giants, who defeated the Vikings leave that up to coach.” 13-10, have seen star wide receiver Malik See JETS AND GIANTS on page 29 Smith maintained that being active on the

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01306 07/23/26 Satou Sabally The Liberty battle for crucial playoff position without All-Star By DERREL JOHNSON Special to the AmNews When the New York Liberty signed threetime WNBA All-Star forward Satou Sabally in April, the move shaped arguably what many pundits considered the league’s most talented roster and one of the favorites, along with the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces, to win this season’s title. Three months later, the Liberty are the No. 6 overall seed in the standings at 22-15 heading into Saturday’s (7:00 p.m.) game at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn versus the No. 3 seed Indiana Fever (24-12), and Sabally has temporarily left the team due to a head injury. The 28-year-old, 6-4 Sabally, who was born in New York City to a Gambian father and German mother and raised in Germany, has played in just 13 games this season after averaging 16.3 points and 5.9 rebounds in 39 games for the Phoenix Mercury last season. Sabally sustained a head injury on June 23 after being elbowed in the face by Aces forward NaLyssa Smith. She has been out of the lineup since the incident, and there is no timetable for her return. Last Thursday, Liberty head coach Chris

nine games under .500 at 13-22. Once Liberty fan favorite Natasha Cloud scorched her former team for a career-high 35 points. AM News“It’s tough; obviously we hope (Jones) will be back quickly, but honestly, I think 07/30/26 (backup center) Han (Xu) stepped up to the challenge pretty well,” Liberty forward Breanna Stewart said after the loss. “(Sky starting center Kamilla) Cardoso is a tough guard, and she continued to provide AM News length on her. But as a team… we have been through this far too many times, and our re08/06/26 sponse needs to be better. When one person goes down, we need to just be even better, and the next one up mentality.” “We believe in our bench,” said DeMarco when asked about the possibility of a long AM News Jones absence. “We play this style so that anybody who comes in can contribute…” 08/13/26 Stewart became the fastest player in DeMarco informed the media of Sabally’s Sabally was averaging 10.4 points on See THE LIBERTY on page 29 status. On August 12, her designation on the 45.9% shooting with a solid 38.5 percentage injury report was changed from “concussion on 3-point attempts. protocol” to “head.” On Tuesday, the Liberty suffered two AM News “She’s gonna be away from the game for losses: the game and a player. Forward-cena little bit. It’s her second significant head ter Jonquel Jones, the 2024 WNBA Finals 08/20/26 injury in the past 12 months,” said DeMar- MVP, left the game in the first quarter of a co. “As with all our players, health will always 93-86 road loss to the Chicago Sky with a left be the focus. ankle injury. The Sky came into the game New York Liberty forward Satou Sabally, a three-time WNBA All-Star, has temporarily left the team due to a head injury. (Photo by Shaina Benhiyoun/ SPP/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images)

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