Pitches
Pitch 1: Queens Place Mall Bomb Hoax, Far-Right Propaganda
On February 11, 2021, two men were indicted for making a terrorist threat and planting a fake bomb in the Queens Place Mall parking lot. The mall was evacuated and despite this being a hoax, there was Black Lives Matter sign recovered from the trunk of the Tesla car where the bomb was. This was an act of propaganda to make people believe that the terrorist threat was by Black Lives Matter activists. This was far-right propaganda and it is important to talk about this story at a time where racism is as blatant as ever, the Capitol was rioted by the far-right, and we are living in a state of panic due to the war of the opposing wings. There has not been much news coverage following the indictment of the two suspects, two white men who have been criminally charged in the past for similar crimes. In January, the fake bomb was planted and investigated by the bomb squad was the news story most people got. More details on the motive were revealed after the fact. It will be useful to have the story covered by a Queens-native as a frequent shopper at that mall and someone who has protested for Black Lives. The impact of the story would be so that everyone can see the motive behind that attack. In order to write this story, I will try to interview employees at the mall and do more research behind the indictment and their other crimes of propaganda.
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Pitch 2: $12 Million Worth of Narcotics Seized from a Heroin Packaging Mill in Queens
On February 10, 2021, 86 pounds of Heroin, 1,000 Fentanyl pills, and cash was seized from a home in Ridgewood, Queens. Four arrests were made including major trafficker, Luis Martinez. This story is one of a very large drug bust that hasn’t been seen in a long time. The neighborhood is predominantly safe and is on the border of Brooklyn. This story is important because they were packaging opioids, a drug type that is increasingly killing Americans and opioid overdose being one of the leading causes of death. Fentanyl is infamously known as one of the most fatal drugs that is the most common to die of an overdose from. Not only is Fentanyl commonly used to lace drugs and manipulate them, but Fentanyl is used to cut heroin and other drugs to let the supply last. For instance, instead of selling pure heroin on the streets, to increase profit, they mix heroin with Fentanyl and sell that on the streets. This practice is possibly what was happening in this packaging mill. I can write this article efficiently by reading local papers and drug enforcement articles on the drug bust and on the drugs themselves. I think it will also be useful if I include statistics on drug use and abuse in Ridgewood and surrounding neighborhoods.
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Pitch 3:`Citi Field Becomes Mega Site for COVID Vaccinations
Citi Field, located in Corona, Queens becomes a mega site for COVID vaccinations allowing the general public to get vaccinated. This is conveniently placed not too far from the epicenter of the coronavirus, Elmhurst, Queens. At the start of the pandemic, Elmhurst hospital was a mega site for COVID patients and was struggling to get enough ventilators, having to place emergency orders for them multiple times a week. Additionally, Corona has a high percentage of undocumented immigrants that cannot seek medical treatment if they contract COVID because they do not have health care, despite many undocumented persons being essential workers. There have been many stories of undocumented persons in Corona and surrounding neighborhoods quarantining away from their families only to die because of fear of getting detained by ICE and not having health care. Citi Field being a vaccination site comes amidst many issues in this area of Queens.
Citations:
https://abc7ny.com/health/its-opening-day-at-citi-field—-for-vaccinations/10325399/
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