💊 Union Health Funds Sue Over Opioid Crisis + Brooklyn-Queens Transit

Good morning, Queens!😎

• 💊 A group of union health funds sued global consulting firm McKinsey & Co. this week for its role in the opioid crisis that has cost the New York unions millions.
• 🚉 No way -- a transit option that connects Brooklyn and Queens?
• 🗺 Back to the drawing board for the Districting Commission. The proposed redistricting map got rejected.

☀️ Mostly sunny. High: 70 Low: 58.

Here are the top stories in Queens today:

1. A group of union health funds filed a lawsuit this week in Queens Supreme Court claiming that global consulting firm McKinsey & Co.’s role in the opioid crisis has caused the New York unions “substanial injury.” The suit was filed on behaf of 50 local health and welfare funds, which cover dozens of construction trade and other unions, including ironworkers, laborers, metal polishers, and NYPD traffic enforcement agents — mostly workers who do manual labor and have a higher chance of getting injured on the job. In under a decade, each of these unions has spent millions of dollars on not only opiod prescriptions, but also detox treatments, rehabilitation facilities, and other hospital stays for members. “The pharmaceutical companies have profited from the opioid epidemic that has wrecked families and ruined lives,” said Louis A. Picani, the president and principal officer of Teamsters Local 456, one of the locals named in the new suit. “We have lost too many members and their loved ones. It has to end, and those responsible must be held to account.”

The City

2. MTA transit officiers have identified light rail train cars as the potential easiest way to build a new transit connection between Brooklyn and Queens, and thus realize Gov. Hochul’s proposed Interborough Express. Hochul’s plan aims to bring passenger service to a 14-mile set of freight tracks that stretch from Bay Ridge to Jackson Heights. The construction of a dedicated roadway for buses has also been suggested. After a federally-required environmental review over the next six weeks, MTA officials plan to confirm their preferred option for the line.

New York Daily News

3. In a move that came as a surprise to many, the city’s Districting Commission voted against sending its proposed redistricting map to City Council for reivew. The once-in-a-decade process will now take longer than expected. On the bright side for Queens, however, many of the concerns raised by residents and lawmakers who testified about the preliminary maps appear, for the most part, to have been addressed and recitified. Rochdale village, the second largest co-op community in the city and one that is largely home to Black homeowners, is no longer split. And District 26, which covers a bulk of Western Queens, no longer extends into Manhattan. Issues still remain, however, as the map divides up parts of Jamaica, Jamaica Hills, Kew Garden Hills, and Rego Park.

Queens Daily Eagle

4. Queens’ 105th Precinct, which spans 350 miles of roadway across east and southeast Queens, has seen a 31% incresae in major crimes, according to recent NYPD statistics. Neighborhood coordination officers are working hard to combat the concerning trend. According to the stats, grand larceny auto crimes have increased 65% in the past year, and home burglaries have increased by nearly 40%.

Queens Courier

5. Jim Burke, co-founder of the 34th Avenue Open Streets Coalition, tends to a stretch of 26 tree-lined blocks in Jackson Heights — 1.3 miles of residential streets closed to traffic as part of the city’s open streets program. During the early days of the pandemic, these open streets were a bright spot for many isolated New Yorkers. Now, however, many question their continued place in the community — and have concerns about their safety.

New York Daily News

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

• NYC officials visit Queens shelter where asylum-seeker died Queens Daily Eagle
• Teen attacked at Queens bus stop; but knife breaks off and student escapes unharmed (New York Daily News ; NBC New York)
• Office Of The Queens Borough President Richards To Host Queens Wellness Day Featuring Deepak Chopra And Queen AFUA (Press Release Desk)
• Ung announces partnership with Queens Chamber of Commerce to help small businesses thrive (Queens Courier)
• NYPD, DA Melinda Katz to hold gun buyback event in Queens (WCBS 880)

🗓 To Do Today in Queens:

• Rockaway Outdoor Market (10 a.m.)
• Jamaica Bay Cleanup by RISE/Rockaway Waterfront Alliance (11 a.m.)
• Art in the Garden Opening Reception: Spread Love, A Mini Mural Installation (11 a.m.)
• Saturday at the Bay: Flushing Bay Canoe/Kayak Launch (12 p.m.)
• "Off the Meter, On the Record" Presented by the Greek Cultural Center ( 3 p.m.)
• Live at Culture Lab LIC! (5 p.m.)
• Movie Night: WALL-E at the Queens Botanical Garden (7 p.m.)

To Do Tomorrow:

• Free Surfing Lessons for Kids and Teens (8 a.m.)
• Down to Earth Cunningham Park Farmers Market (9 a.m.)
• Maspeth Lions Bocce Tournament (11 a.m.)
• Bang on a Can at The Noguchi Museum: Ned Rothenberg (4 p.m.)
• Kiarostami For Kids (6:30 p.m.)
• Sam Blakeslee Large Group Ensemble Music at Culture Lab LIC (7 p.m.)
• Movies Under the Stars: Sing 2 (7:30 p.m.)

🗣 Queens Chatter:

• Happy early Rosh Hashanah: "Shanah Tova to all Queens families celebrating Rosh Hashanah beginning this Sunday evening! My family and I wish you and yours a happy, healthy and sweet new year. ממשפחתי לכל מישהו שחוגגים ראש השנה, אנו מאחלים לכם שנה טובה ומתוקה" (Queens Borough President Donovan Richards via Facebook)
• Grow your small business: "PETIA ABDUR-RAZZAAQ. Learn How to Make Your Small Business More Accessible. When businesses build digital communications that allow people with disabilities to perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with products and services, it expands their market. Implementing accessibility best practices can help businesses grow, and improve the experience for all users. In this session we'll show you how to: What does accessibility mean, online? How to design for accessibility: web pages, email, and tips for physical spaces Tips for being more inclusive Complimentary webinar Presented by Petia A. Abdur-Razzaaq Professional Speaker @ PetiaAbdurRazzaaq.com Grow with Google Partner Trainer" (Queens Chamber of Commerce via Facebook)
• Mums here: "#Mums have arrived!These little buds might look modest today, but don't let them fool you -- they'll soon produce a showstopping display of blossoms. Pick up yellow, purple, red and bronze varieties of this quintessential fall flower at the farm store! https://queensfarm.org/farm-store/" (Queens County Farm Museum via Twitter)
• Get ready for a Masaaki Yuasa takeover!: "It's a Masaaki Yuasa takeover! We're thrilled to present two films from one of Japan’s most exciting contemporary animators—his acclaimed and thrilling debut, MIND GAME, and new musical epic, INU-OH! SEP 30–OCT 2. Tickets: https://movingimage.us/series/world-of-animation/" (Museum of the Moving Image via Twitter)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• JUST SOLD ! Renovated Tudor In Beautiful Forest Hills Gardens, Queens, NYC (September 24)
• EmblemHealth Healthier Futures Wellness Expo: Free Live Music & More! (September 24)
• 8th Annual ENY 5K (October 8)
• City Gate Productions Presents: Rabbit Hole by David Lindsay-Abaire (October 14)
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Announcements:

• Over 60? Having some memory issues due to a concussion or traumatic brain injury? (Details)
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You're officially in the loop for today! I'll see you back in your inbox tomorrow with a new update.

— Emma Radu Fighera

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