Community Corner

LIRR Shuttle Between Jamaica And Manhattan + Reform Child Welfare Laws

The quickest way to get caught up on the most important things happening today in Queens.

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Good morning, Queens! 🐝

  • 🚂 The MTA will begin operating a new Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) shuttle between the much-anticipated 750,000-square-foot, $11 billion Grand Central Madison terminal and Jamaica, Queens within the next few weeks.
  • 🪧 Dozens of parents and elected officials rallied Wednesday for long-sought reforms to NYC child welfare laws that would require city Administration for Children's Services workers to verbally inform families of their legal rights at the start of child welfare investigations, similar to police in criminal cases.
  • ❓More questions concerning Representative-elect George Santos's background emerged Wednesday, this time regarding his purported Jewish ancestry.

☔️ A little afternoon rain. High: 48 Low: 46.

Here are the top stories in Queens today:

1. The MTA will begin operating a new Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) shuttle between the much-anticipated Grand Central Madison terminal and Jamaica, Queens within the next few weeks. The shuttle, dubbed the Grand Central Direct, will start operating before the new LIRR terminal officially opens for full passenger service, which is expected to kick off within three weeks from the launch of the shuttle operation. Officially dubbed Grand Central Madison, the 750,000-square-foot, $11 billion new terminal is the largest expansion of the LIRR service since the original Penn Station and the East River Tunnel debuted 112 years ago. In addition to the shuttle, Grand Central Madison will also provide LIRR passengers with much-wanted direct access to the East Side of Manhattan.

Time Out

2. Dozens of parents and elected officials rallied Wednesday for long-sought reforms to NYC child welfare laws that would require city Administration for Children's Services workers to verbally provide a "Miranda warning" to families at the start of child welfare investigations, similar to police in criminal cases. Currently, to their detriment, parents are rarely informed of their legal rights — which include the right to know the abuse or neglect allegations against them, speak with an attorney, and refuse to let the ACS workers enter their homes absent a court order or emergency. Though most allegations of abuse are found to be unsubstantiated, the investigation of such matters often subjects families to a difficult period or lifetime under city surveillance. "We have Black and Brown families that continue to be predominantly the ones impacted by racist systemic policy," said Majority Whip Selvena Brooks Powers (D-Queens). "In the first women-led majority Council, one of the most diverse bodies in the history of the City of New York, we are moving legislation that are going to make impactful and transformative changes." Councilwoman Sandra Ung (D-Queens) also introduced a companion bill that would require family's rights be translated into designated citywide languages.

New York Daily News

3. More questions concerning Representative-elect George Santos's background emerged Wednesday, this time regarding his purported Jewish ancestry, which he claimed on his website and in statements during his political campaign. Santos says in his current biography that his grandparents fled Jewish persecution during WWII, and eventually settled in Brazil, where his mother was born. However, The Forward, a Jewish publication based in New York City — which cited information from myheritage.com, a genealogy website; Brazilian immigration cards; and databases of refugees — found that Santos's grandparents seemed to have been born in Brazil before World War II, meaning they did not escape any sort of Jewish persecution. Despite this, Santos, who has identified as Catholic, described himself as a nonobservant Jew while on the campaign trail. In his remarks in Washington on Wednesday, Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the incoming House Democratic leader, accused Santos of being a "complete and utter fraud," though Jeffries did not address the more recent questions about his heritage. "It's an open question to me as to whether this is the type of individual that the incoming majority should welcome to Congress," Jeffries said. Now, many are calling on federal prosecutors to investigate Santos, who has not been seen or heard from since Monday, when allegations that he had distorted or fabricated most aspects of his backstory first surfaced.

The New York Times ; PIX11 News

4. The MTA announced Monday the expansion of the Jamaica Bus Depot to fit more electric buses in the terminal by the summer of 2026. The 134,000-square-foot expansion will add 60 charging stations to include 60 electric buses, allowing 270 buses total to fit in the terminal. The MTA also said the Jamaica depot is expected to accommodate an all-electric bus fleet by 2030. "Not only will commuters see improved conditions as they wait to board and improved service as they ride, but Queens as a whole will benefit environmentally from the electrification of the depot and the fleet of buses that will use it," said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr.

Patch

5. NYC's Filipino community is working to revive Simbang Gabi — which translates to "night Mass" in Tagalog — a popular, centuries-old tradition that includes a nine-day series of Catholic masses leading up to Christmas Eve. The Advent celebration originated in the late 1600s, when the Philippines were under Spanish colonial rule, and is now being given a new life in NYC, which boasts one the largest Filipino populations in the U.S. Despite its colonial origins, many Filipino Americans have found a deeper meaning in Simbang Gabi, viewing it as a window into shared Filipino values, like inclusivity, family, and heartwarming connections. On Saturday in Woodside, Queens, roughly 200 congregants filled the pews of St. Sebastian Church on the third night of the nine-day celebration. This modest scene stood in contrast to a very different Simbang Gabi event held on Friday at a spacious Bushwick warehouse filled with artisans, vendors serving Filipino fare, and DJs adding their modern flair. "There is a special space in every Filipino in their heart when it comes to Simbang Gabi," said Augelyn Francisco, owner of the Lower East Side Filipino cafe Kabisera. "I don't think we are really forgetting the old tradition. It's just a revision of how we are now, and what the world [is]." Without a doubt, there is room in NYC for both the old and new traditions to coexist, keeping the magic of Simbang Gabi alive for a new generation of Filipino Americans.

Gothamist

🗞 Hungry for more news? 🍽 Snack on these headlines:

  • Flushing cyber 'predator' gets 17 years in prison for 'sextortion' of Long Island boy (Queens Courier)
  • A secret speakeasy is hidden under a ramen shop in Queens (Time Out)
  • $400K worth of cocaine found in abandoned bag at JFK Airport (PIX11 News)
  • MTA Construction and Development to award contracts in multiple projects to combat climate change, upgrade accessibility and improve service (Mass Transit Magazine)
  • Rising inflation adds $800M to cost of fully funding New York's main school aid formula (Chalkbeat New York)
  • NYC Emergency Management issues travel advisory ahead of winter storm (PIX11 News)

🗓 To Do Today in Queens:

  • Santa's Toy Shop — Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens (8 a.m.)
  • Volunteer at 9 Million Reasons / Evangel Food Pantry (8:45 a.m.)
  • Parent-Child Art Workshop: Hand-made Bag (10 a.m.)
  • Amaze Light Festival (4 p.m.)
  • The New York Winter Lantern Festival – Illuminate the Farm (5 p.m.)
  • Seasonal Strings Holiday Concert (6:30 p.m.)
  • Meet the Playwright Presents: Queens Girl in the World (8 p.m.)
  • New Material Night at Q.E.D. Astoria (9 p.m.)
  • XTREME at Queens Palace Night Club (9 p.m.)

🗣 Queens Chatter:

  • 🏠 Addressing the deplorable conditions at the Astoria Houses: "The cold is here, but some Astoria Houses tenants are facing yet another winter of unreliable or nonexistent heat in their homes. It's not just unacceptable and insulting, it's downright dangerous and disrespectful. So my team and I hit the ground today — meeting with impacted tenants and NYCHA leadership to ensure our public housing families can live in comfort and with the dignity they deserve. We'll be back, the work continues." (Queens Borough President Donovan Richards via Facebook)
  • 🤝 Fight against family separation: "Family separation happens right here in NYC because of ACS's cruel practices that target, overwhelmingly, Black and brown families. I have personally experienced the horrors of this child welfare system, and will continue to fight alongside impacted families to protect them." (Council Member Shekar Krishnan via Twitter)
  • 🌲 Ever heard of the botanical highlight Pinus strobus?: "QBG head of Interpretation Gennadyi Gurman shares a botanical highlight: Pinus strobus AKA Eastern White Pine. Learn about our native trees and their ecological value by our Arboretum. QBG is open Tuesdays through Sunday, 8am to 6pm⁠" (Queens Botanical Garden via Facebook)
  • 😀🏛 Happy Holidays from the Queens Museum: "Happy Holidays and New Year's from the Queens Museum team! We wish you a great holiday and we look forward to seeing you in 2023! The Museum will be open from 12/28-12/31, so stop by before the New Year!" (Queens Museum via Facebook)
  • 🧤Kittens with mittens: "You could say that Canada lynx are kittens with disproportionately large mittens! Their supersized paws are an adaptation that act like snowshoes, helping them to evenly distribute their body weight when walking on snow." (Queens Zoo via Twitter)

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Alrighty, you're all caught up for today! See you tomorrow for your next update.

— Emma Radu Fighera

About me: Emma Radu Fighera is a reporter born and raised in Queens, New York. She studied Literature and Studio Art at Hamilton College, where she helped run the only daily publication on campus, The Daily Bull newsletter. This past spring she earned her M.S. from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Queens Daily? Contact me at queens@patch.com

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