Day: July 29, 2026

The Home Healthcare Workers of America, its parent union, and other related labor unions improperly received millions in PPP loans.

The post Embattled unions to pay feds $3.85 million over pandemic loans appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.

Brooklyn will celebrate one of its most beloved hometown stars next month with a day dedicated to the life, music and lasting influence of R&B icon Aaliyah.

BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! is set to present “Aaliyah: One in a Million” on Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Lena Horne Bandshell in Prospect Park, bringing together musicians, filmmakers, DJs, storytellers and fans to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the singer’s passing. The free event will feature live performances of Aaliyah’s biggest hits, original films, personal testimonies and fashion inspired by the late superstar.

Born in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Aaliyah became one of the defining voices of modern R&B, known for her smooth vocals, music production and sense of style. She’s known for her many hits like “Try Again,” “Are You That Somebody?” and “Rock the Boat.” Event organizers said the tribute aims to celebrate not only her musical legacy but also her enduring influence on generations of artists.

Brooklyn-born musician Taja Cheek, who performs under the name L’Rain, will serve as the event’s music director. She will lead an afternoon of performances featuring Res, serpentwithfeet, Halima and Motherboard, each offering their own interpretation of Aaliyah’s catalog alongside a live band.

Adam Shore, a co-presenter of the event, said that by showcasing a variety of artists covering her music, it carries on her legacy.

“These artists carry Aaliyah’s inspiration into their own work in different ways: through their vocal approach, their musical adventurism, or their style and visual aesthetic,” he said. “Each artist carries a piece of her legacy forward in their own voice.”

Beyond performances, the celebration will feature DJs Nyla Simons, Honey Byn and alertoreyes spinning Aaliyah’s music throughout the afternoon. In contrast, music journalist Brittany Spanos will host the event with stories highlighting Aaliyah’s life and career.

The tribute will also include personal reflections from legendary video pioneer Ralph McDaniels, whose “Video Music Box” helped introduce Aaliyah to audiences across New York, along with award-winning writer and filmmaker LaChelle Chrysanne. Original short films created specifically for the event, including work by Maryam Shines, will screen throughout the day.

Fashion will also play a large role in honoring Aaliyah’s influence. Designer Karl Kani, whose clothes became closely associated with the singer’s iconic style, will host a pop-up shop featuring merchandise and giveaways, including three motorcycle jackets made famous by Aaliyah and 20 T-shirts through an onsite raffle. Brooklyn apparel brand Skool Milk will also offer merchandise during the event.

The house band will be led by Tariq Al Sabir and feature musicians with credits alongside Blood Orange, H.E.R. and Jazmine Sullivan.

The event is being presented in partnership with Sounds of Saving, a nonprofit that promotes mental health awareness through music, and is co-presented by Adam Shore. Organizers encourage attendees to RSVP in advance, though registration is not required for entry.

Doors open at 3 p.m. on Aug. 8 at the Lena Horne Bandshell in Prospect Park. To RSVP, click here.

City Council members cry foul as homeowners receive letters demanding they prove NYC residency ahead of city’s new tax.

The post Die-hard New Yorkers blanche at Mamdani’s pied-a-terre j’accuse appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.

Times Square Arts unveiled “Hot Dog: The Second Serving,” a revamped 65-foot hot dog sculpture by Brooklyn artists Jen Catron and Paul Outlaw, on Wednesday, July 22.

Draped in patriotic bunting and topped with a gold Lady Liberty figure, the larger-than-life sculpture was redesigned to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary. The hot dog originally appeared in Times Square in 2024 as part of the artists’ “Hot Dog in the City” exhibition.

Following the unveiling, Times Square Arts held “The Most American Pageant Ever!,” hosted by Catron, Outlaw and New York City-based artist Abby Lloyd.

The pageant featured a panel of judges that included Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, actor and designer Waris Ahluwalia, comedian Lily Marotta and Creative Time Executive Director Jean Cooney.

Performers included Spike Einbinder, Ellery Neon, Kenneth Youngblood, Kiki Ball-Change, Celine Abdallah, Relish the Entertainer, Peter BD, Jordan Coley and Claywoman.

The redesigned sculpture retains many elements from the original installation while introducing new details intended to deepen its examination of patriotism, monumentality, power and national mythology.

“As artists, we always think our job is to be a reflection of the society and culture in which we occupy,” Catron told amNewYork. “We live in a specific time and place, and it’s our responsibility to present our interpretation of that space and make commentary on our shared circumstances.”

Catron and Outlaw frequently create large-scale installations examining spectacle, excess and the construction of national myths. Catron said the exhibition and pageant were intended to both celebrate America and critically examine what makes the country unique.

“The hot dog represents the good, the bad and the ugly of our society, all wrapped up in a pre-packaged, highly marketed, consumable staple that has universal appeal,” Outlaw said.

The artists deliberately chose Times Square, where consumerism, spectacle and American culture are displayed before visitors from around the world.

“Times Square is still the center of the Universe in so many ways. It represents a pinnacle at least part of the human experience and is uniquely American,” said Outlaw. 

“And of course, if it’s going to be in Times Square, it has to be the biggest, the best, and the loudest there is,” he added. 

That sense of excess extends beyond the sculpture’s size. Each day at noon, the hot dog rises above Duffy Square and releases a burst of confetti, transforming the installation into a spectacle for passersby

“When you set out to make a giant hot dog, it feels only fitting—in the spirit of America—to make it the biggest and loudest you possibly can,” Carton said.

Their work has previously appeared at the Brooklyn Museum, Times Square Arts, the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit and Creative Time.

The free exhibition will remain on display around the clock at Duffy Square through Aug. 8, with the hot dog rising and releasing confetti daily at noon. 

Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu combined for 56 points on 20-of-35 shooting on a night New York (16-12) needed every bit of its touch.

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Emily Myerscough, 40, was last seen at around 9:45 a.m. on Monday, July 27, leaving her Bradford Street residence.

The post Missing woman in New Lots appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.

Nearly 250 years after British troops gathered in South Brooklyn before the Battle of Brooklyn, the Hendrick I. Lott House is inviting visitors to step back into that pivotal moment in American history.

The historic house museum, located at 1940 E. 36th St. between Fillmore Avenue and Avenue S in Marine Park, will mark America’s 250th birthday with a free public event on Aug. 2 exploring the days leading up to the first major military engagement after the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

The event, titled “Before the Battle,” will feature a panel discussion with archaeologist Dr. Alyssa Loorya, president of Friends of the Lott House and founder and president of Chrysalis Archaeological Consultants, and author Dr. Tom Campanella about the role the Lott House — an 18th-century farmhouse built in 1719 and expanded in 1800 — played during the Revolutionary War. The program also includes a live performance by musical historian Linda Russell, a color guard demonstration by the Sons of the American Revolution’s Battle of Brooklyn Chapter, and a Continental Army camp and officer’s tent display.

Loorya told Brooklyn Paper that when British troops landed in Brooklyn on Aug. 22, 1776, they spread throughout southern Brooklyn, establishing camps, including one on the Lott House property, before marching through the largely unguarded Jamaica Pass to what is now Prospect Park. The surprise maneuver led to the Continental Army’s defeat at the Battle of Brooklyn on Aug. 27, 1776.

“The Lott House is one of those places where everybody was waiting and anticipating,” Loorya explained. “The idea was to give a little bit more background, but also to really honor the patriots who fought for our independence, a nod to those who suffered in the prison ships and passed away, and to commemorate America 250, which happens to coincide with the 100th anniversary of our neighborhood.”

Once the British took control, everyone was forced to take a loyalty oath to the king, Loorya explained. While Johannes Lott pledged allegiance to the King of England, his wife, Jannetje Lott, was a staunch patriot during the American Revolution, donating money to patriotic causes and to support soldiers held on the prison ships.

“There are family stories of how she sank the pewter in the local creek, so the British could not confiscate it to make bullets. Her two sons broke into the British encampment and made away with a fireback shield, which is still in the family today,” Loorya said.

While Johannes Lott was later convicted as a loyalist in a New York state court and had his property confiscated, Jannetje Lott has been recognized by the Daughters of the American Revolution.

“I always thought it was odd that Jannetje was listed as Jannetje Lott of Flatlands, but her husband was always Johannes E. Lott of New Lots. It wasn’t until many years later, when I was doing a deep dive into some revolutionary-era history about the family, that I realized he was a loyalist,” Loorya shared. “I always knew she was a patriot; to put a modern twist on it, it almost looks as if she kicked him out for being a loyalist, but they were living separately.”

For Loorya, history is much more than facts and prominent figures like George Washington or Lord Cornwallis, a leading British general during the American Revolution. It’s also about the people who aren’t mentioned in history books.

“It’s everyday people like Jannetje Lott who was like, ‘Absolutely not. I have an opinion, and I’m going to take a stand.’ And she took her own money and donated it to help the cause for independence,” Loorya said. “So it’s stories like that that happened in your backyard.”