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Cots set up close to each other in an Astoria church migrant respite center, May 24, 2023. | Obtained by THE CITY By Gwynne Hogan and Haidee Chu, The City This article was originally published on May 24 6:59pm EDT by THE CITY NEW YORK - An old judo gym, two churches, a shuttered school, and a vacant Midtown office building are among the six sites currently serving as what Mayor Eric Adams’ administration calls “respite centers,” which have opened up with little notice to the surrounding communities. The centers provide migrants with little more than a cot to lie on, but few other accommodations. Some don’t have showers, leaving shelter seekers without a place to bathe for days. Six respite centers have opened since early May with a combined capacity for around 1,600 people, according to an administration source familiar with the matter.  Three of those — the judo gym and St. Margaret Mary’s Catholic Church, both in Astoria, Queens, and a shuttered school buildin

Police are looking for two men who robbed a smoke shop near Stuy Tow. -Photo by NYPD By Dan Gesslein  Manhattan Voice  May 24, 2023  MANHATTAN - Cops are looking for a pair of suspects in the robbery of a Stuy Town smoke shop.  At around 1:50 pm on May 23, two men entered the K&H Convenience store on 14th Street across from Stuy Town. Cops said one of the men pushed a 34-year-old employee out of the way while the other removed merchandise.  The robbers then ran out of the store and were last seen heading westbound on 15 Street toward Second Avenue. Police believe the smoke related merchandise stolen is valued at around $2,000.  The suspects are described as males with medium to dark complexions and between the ages of 18 and 25.  Police released surveillance video from inside the store.  One of the suspects was last seen with a Band-Aid on his right hand. Both men were last seen wearing black hoodies, black pants and black face masks. One wore dark colored sn

Worker Beaten for $175 Worth of Smoke Items By Dan Gesslein  Manhattan Voice May 24, 2023  MANHATTAN - An Upper West Side smoke shop was robbed and a clerk was beaten by a trio of thieves, cops say.  At around 1 pm on April 24, a man entered the convenience store on Amsterdam Avenue which advertises hookah, bongs and other smoke items. The man walked up to the counter and started talking to the 24-year-old worker.  Suddenly the man reached over the counter and started grabbing merchandise. When the worker tried to stop him, the thief punched the clerk in the head. All the while a second man stood the doorway acting as a look out.   Cops say the items taken were only valued at $175.  The suspects walked out of the store and were last seen running westbound on West 85th Street.  Police released surveillance video from inside the store.  The suspects are all male around 18 years of age. They are all between 5 foot 9 to 6 feet tall.  Anyone with information in reg

NYC won’t slash school budgets at first, but mid-year cuts are still possible By Reema Amin, Alex Zimmerman, Chalkbeat New York May 24, 2023 New York City schools won’t have to brace for budget cuts next school year — at least at first. All schools will receive the same amount of money or more at the start of the 2023-24 academic year as they did this year despite some of the “fiscal challenges” facing the city, Chancellor David Banks announced on Monday during a City Council hearing about the education department’s proposed budget for next fiscal year.  But school budgets may not need the extra cushion this year. Unlike the significant drops over the past few years, the education department is projecting enrollment to largely  hold steady next year,  dipping by less than 1% The move represents a shift from what happened last summer, when budget cuts tied to declining enrollment, sparked severe backlash, including a lawsuit, and forced schools to shrink staff and prog

Police are searching for this man in connection with an attack on the Turkish Consulate. -Photo by NYPD Attacker Busted Out Windows to Consulate Using a Crowbar Near UN Building By Dan Gesslein  Manhattan Voice  May 23, 2023  MANHATTAN - A day after a man busted out the windows to the Turkish Consulate with a crowbar, police released video of a suspect being sought.  Police released video from inside a subway station of a man walking through the turnstiles with a crowbar. Cops believe this is the man who attacked Turkish Consulate in an apparent political attack tied to the Turkish elections.  At around 3 am on May 22, a man walked up to the Turkish Consulate on 1st Avenue, across the street from the United Nations headquarters. The man swung the crowbar into numerous windows causing them to shatter.  No one was injured in the attack.  After knocking out the windows, the suspect fled southbound on 1st Avenue.  Police released video from inside the subway showing