Skip to Main Content
New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

Members of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance are on strike, protesting exploitative licensing regulations and calling for debt relief. The union began an indefinite hunger strike on Oct. 20 outside of City Hall. (Staff Photo by Sirui Wu)

‘Loss is not an option’: New York’s taxi drivers begin hunger strike

The New York Taxi Workers Alliance began its hunger strike at City Hall on Oct. 20. They are protesting against a proposed debt relief plan that they say will hurt drivers more than it will help them.
Abby Wilson, Staff Writer October 21, 2021

Members of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, the union representing taxicab drivers in New York City, gathered outside City Hall on Wednesday night to mark the beginning of a...

A sign outside a restaurant near campus tells patrons that they must be vaccinated to be served. However, many NYU students have reported that local businesses are not complying with Mayor DeBlasio’s mandate. (Staff Photo by Jake Capriotti)

NYC vaccine mandate goes unenforced at local businesses

The city’s Key to NYC vaccine mandate came into effect Sept. 13, but NYU students and local businesses have expressed concerns about its implementation.
Gabriel Hawthorne, Staff Writer October 1, 2021

Despite Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Key to NYC vaccine mandate for indoor activities having gone into full effect on Sept. 13, students have noticed that some local businesses are...

A woman holds a sign demanding the closure of the Rikers Island jail. Activists are criticizing the rising death toll and inhumane living conditions, and New York City has pledged to close Rikers Island in 2027. (Photo by Sam Clegg)

Opinion: Close Rikers now

Amid an alarming rise in suicides, neglect and unlivable conditions, it is incumbent upon Mayor Bill de Blasio to shut down Rikers Island jail complex and stop wasting taxpayer money on pointless reforms.
Asha Ramachandran, Opinion Editor September 30, 2021

After touring Rikers Island on Monday, Sept. 27, Mayor Bill de Blasio noted the city’s progress in improving the jail. However, he failed to mention the deadly overcrowding,...

Members of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance have been protesting against Mayor Bill de Blasio’s debt relief plan for taxi workers outside City Hall for the past eight days. The plan is weak and does not do enough to financially protect taxi drivers. (Staff Photo by Alexandra Chan)

Editorial: NYC taxi drivers deserve better than de Blasio’s deal

The debt relief plan offered by Mayor Bill de Blasio should be amended to financially protect taxi workers after decades of deregulation and private greed.
The Editorial Board September 27, 2021

For the past eight days, members of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance have been engaged in a 24/7 protest outside of City Hall in response to Mayor Bill de Blasio’s debt relief...

Food delivery services have become more essential in recent years. Mayor de Blasio must sign legislation to give them greater protections.
(Staff Photo by Jake Capriotti)

De Blasio must deliver for delivery workers

The New York City Council passed an unprecedented slate of legislation that will protect delivery workers from unsafe working conditions. Bill de Blasio should sign it immediately.
Kevin Kurian, Opinion Editor September 24, 2021

Hurricane Ida revealed the shallowness of America’s praise for frontline workers. As the streets of New York flooded, some decided that a pizza or a burrito was more important...

NYU continues construction on 181 Mercer Street in SoHo gentrifying the area. Mayor DeBlasio’s plan for affordable housing in the area does not serve the public interest of the surrounding area. (Staff Photo by Alexandra Chan)

Opinion: De Blasio’s rezoning plan is gentrification in the making

Mayor Bill de Blasio pledged to increase access to affordable housing for SoHo, NoHo and Chinatown residents with a controversial upzoning plan. The plan, however, will likely instead increase gentrification in NYU’s backyard and reduce net affordable housing. The City Planning Commision should reject it outright.
Asha Ramachandran, Opinion Editor September 1, 2021

Last year, Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office introduced a rezoning plan targeting much of SoHo, NoHo and parts of Chinatown. The city has emphasized the plan’s potential to create...

From left to right, Andrew Yang, Eric Adams, Scott Stringer and Maya Wiley are all candidates in the competitive New York's mayoral race. According to a recent Data for Progress poll, Yang, Adams, Stringer and Wiley are the top four candidates in the Democratic mayoral primary. (Images via Wikimedia Commons, Staff Photo and Illustration by Alexandra Chan)

NYC Mayoral Race: Meet the Leading Candidates

Andrew Yang, Eric Adams, Scott Stringer and Maya Wiley are the top four candidates in the Democratic mayoral primary, according to a recent Data for Progress poll.
Rachel Cohen, Staff Writer April 23, 2021

We're two months away from the June 22 Democratic mayoral primary, which will likely determine New York City's next mayor.  Twelve Democrats and two Republicans are running...

De Blasio's police reform is hollow and insufficient

De Blasio’s police reform is hollow and insufficient

Mayor Bill de Blasio’s new police reform plan is full of abstract ideals and does not take the concrete, radical action necessary to transform the current reality of a violent NYPD.
Asha Ramachandran, Deputy Opinion Editor March 16, 2021

After a summer swept by protests for racial justice and demonstrations demanding the New York Police Department be defunded and held accountable for its violent racism, Mayor Bill...

Hotel Evictions Show NYC’s Disregard For Homeless People’s Needs

Hotel Evictions Show NYC’s Disregard For Homeless People’s Needs

Mayor Bill de Blasio's decision to evict homeless residents from a neighborhood hotel after Upper West Siders threatened to sue the city not only endangers public health, but reflects hostility towards homeless individuals.
WSN Editorial Board September 13, 2020

New York City announced on Tuesday that homeless people staying at The Lucerne Hotel, located in the Upper West Side, will be removed. This move occurred after a weeks-long campaign...

De Blasio’s Privatization of NYCHA

De Blasio’s Privatization of NYCHA

Mayor de Blasio is planning to put one-third of New York’s public housing in the hands of private landlords. Privatization will only further harm residents, who have been struggling against NYCHA’s neglect and mismanagement for the last decade.
Asha Ramachandran, Deputy Opinion Editor February 24, 2020

On Jan. 31st, the coldest day of the year to date, 10,000 residents of the New York City Public Housing Authority were left to freeze without heat or hot water as temperatures...

The New York city council passed a bill to improve bike safety after the 26th bicyclist was killed this year. (Via Flickr)

Student Cyclists Concerned as Bike Deaths Reach 20-Year High

As the number of biking-related deaths continues to climb, New York City has rolled out new plans to increase biker safety.
Julia Baxley, Staff Writer November 6, 2019

On Saturday, 87-year-old Yevgeny Meskin was struck by a minivan and killed while riding his bike on Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn. He’s the 26th cyclist to be killed on the road...

New York City Must Help Its Homeless Children

New York City Must Help Its Homeless Children

The number of New York City public school students experiencing homelessness has remained higher than the population of Albany for over a year. The failure of the city to significantly reduce this number shows the city needs to treat this issue like the crisis it is.
Cole Stallone, Opinion Editor November 4, 2019

Since last year, over 114,000 New York City public school students have continued to struggle with homelessness, and nearly 38,000 live in shelters. Recent reports by the Advocates...