In the News

The Biden administration plans to close two of the Veterans Administration hospitals in New York City — in Brooklyn and Manhattan, The Post has learned.

The VA would close those two hospitals and contract with private medical providers as part of a “strategic collaboration” to treat vets.

The plan sparked immediate rebuke from Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island).

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, along with several members of Congress, spoke with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a zoom meeting Saturday, as he thanked the U.S for their continued support and asked for assistance in the country’s fight against Russia.

Malliotakis said Zelenskyy, who has survived three assassination attempts, gave an update and assessed what is currently taking place on the ground to about 300 Congress members.

“He said there have been thousands of casualties --- more civilians deaths than military,” she added.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As gas prices across the country continue to climb at a rapid rate, calls for the United States to lessen its dependence on foreign energy sources are growing.

On Friday, a group of Staten Island elected officials, led by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/South Brooklyn), gathered at a Shell gas station in Dongan Hills to call on the federal government to allow initiatives that would enhance the country’s energy independence in an effort to combat rising prices at the pump.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Rep. Nicole Malliotakis disagreed Tuesday night when she heard President Joe Biden say the state of the union is strong.

On Wednesday, Malliotakis pointed to things like rising prices at the gas pump, supply chain issues, and an uptick in crime to paint a stark contrast to the positive image Biden laid out during his first State of the Union address to Congress.

“The Biden administration created a lot of this pain that American families are feeling through their policies,” she said. “We really need to reverse course here.”

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – As a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis said there are several actions the U.S. should be taking to better position itself in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Stricter economic sanctions against Russia and repealing President Joe Biden’s executive orders that prevent the country from producing more energy domestically should happen immediately, Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/South Brooklyn) told the Advance/SILive.com on Friday.

Republican officials and nearly 200 Staten Islanders rallied Monday afternoon to call for an end to coronavirus (COVID-19) mask mandates in city schools, sounding fervent opposition to the measure that has been the source of heated debate.

The protest, held at the Staten Island Republican headquarters in New Dorp, included GOP speakers from the city, state and federal levels and drew a raucous crowd, including young children, that urged for stronger actions to be taken against the directive.

The Staten Island Ferry has received an infusion of federal funding for a project aimed at improving service reliability and air quality for commuters.

On Friday, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced that more than $45 million in grants have been awarded through the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Passenger Ferry Grant Program, including a $1 million grant awarded to the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT), which will be used on the Staten Island Ferry.

Periods without heat or hot water; mold, rat and roach infestations; and broken elevators are among the inadequate conditions many residents of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and other government-subsidized housing in New York City have endured for years.

Over the past few months the Advance/SILive.com has documented the stories of residents and witnessed the conditions first-hand as part of an in-depth series looking at government subsidized housing on Staten Island, the problems residents face and poor conditions that exist in many locations.