NYC News Roundup: Goddard Institute Eviction, Breeders' Cup at Belmont, and Supportive Housing Evictions

Goddard Institute Eviction

• 🏛️ The Trump administration has ordered researchers at the Goddard Institute for Space Studies in Manhattan to vacate their Columbia University building.
• 🔬 This lab studies climate change and maintains weather data dating back to 1880.
• 💰 Union president Matt Biggs criticizes the move as fiscally irresponsible, costing taxpayers more due to a $3 million lease through 2031, despite the building being empty.
• ⚠️ The administration claims the move is part of a broader efficiency mandate.

Breeders' Cup Coming to Belmont Park

• 🐎 One of horse racing's top events, the Breeders' Cup World Championships, will be held at the new Belmont Park in 2027.
• 🏆 This high-profile event features top horses racing for significant purses.
• 🍎 New York State provided a $455 million loan for the new Belmont Park, set to open next year.
• 🗓️ The last time Belmont hosted the event was in 2005, and the 2027 edition will be in late October.

Evictions in Supportive Housing

• 🏠 Thousands of New Yorkers in supportive housing (subsidized apartments with services for vulnerable individuals) are facing eviction.
• ⚖️ Landlords, who are paid to provide services, are often the ones initiating eviction proceedings, with nearly 300 tenants having eviction warrants issued in the last 5 months.
• ⚠️ A significant problem is that some landlords fail to inform the court that tenants live in supportive housing, potentially preventing judges from recognizing the need for extra time or legal assistance.
• 🆘 Evictions are often for unpaid rent, and some landlords claim they are a last resort to keep buildings running or to unlock emergency rental aid.
• 🏙️ The city is considering new rules to track evictions and require landlords to prove they have exhausted all other options before taking tenants to court.

National Spelling Bee

• 🐝 The Scripps National Spelling Bee is underway, featuring several spellers from the New York area.
• 💡 Eighth grader Brian Lou from Great Neck was eliminated on the word "siri" (plural of cirrus).
• 🧠 Izzy Canada, a 14-year-old from the Dalton School, used Greek roots to correctly define "fiduciary" for her vocabulary word.