By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Most Federal Reserve officials said last month that the threat of higher inflation was a greater concern than the potential for job losses, leading the central bank to keep its key rate unchanged.

According to the minutes of the July 29-30 meeting, released Wednesday, members of the Fed’s interest-rate setting committee “assessed that the effects of higher tariffs had become more apparent in the prices of some goods but that their overall effects on economic activity and inflation remained to be seen.”

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The minutes underscored the reluctance among the majority of the Fed’s 19 policymakers to reduce the central bank’s short-term interest rate until they get a clearer sense of the impact of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on inflation. So far inflation has crept up in the past couple of months but hasn’t risen as much as many economists feared when Trump unveiled some of his duties.

The Fed left its key interest rate unchanged last month at about 4.3%, though two members of its governing board dissented in favor of a rate cut. Both dissenters — Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman — were appointed to the board during Trump’s first term.

At a news conference after the meeting, Chair Jerome Powell signaled that it might take significant additional time for the Fed to determine whether Trump’s sweeping tariffs are boosting inflation.

When the Fed changes its rate, it often — though not always — affects borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards.

The Fed typically keeps its rate high, or raises it, to cool borrowing and spending and combat inflation. It often cuts its rate to bolster the economy and hiring when growth is cooling.

New York City public school students will head back to class on Thursday, Sept. 4. For many families across the five boroughs, that means stocking up on a fresh batch of school supplies—the costs of which can add up. 

NYC students lined up for the first day of school in 2021. (Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)

New York City public school students will head back to class on Thursday, Sept. 4. For many families across the five boroughs, that means stocking up on a fresh batch of school supplies—the costs of which can add up. 

According to a 2022 survey conducted by Junior Achievement USA, a nonprofit that advocates for the economic advancement of young people, 33 percent of the teens it surveyed across the country expressed insecurity over the cost of school supplies. This can lead to a stressful period as families try to get everything that is required on their child’s school supply list, in addition to uniforms, new clothes, sneakers, shoes and more.

Luckily, many New York City elected officials and local organizations host giveaways to help ease some of that burden.

“Unfortunately a lot of households already have limited resources and now with [all these] cuts it’s going to be a lot harder for people,” said Lance Sagesse, a leader with the Pentecostal Church of God in Flatbush, Brooklyn, which is organizing one such event on Aug. 23, referring to federal cuts to Medicaid, food stamps and other safety net programs. “So whatever we can do to relieve the burden from parents as well as students, that’s going to be our goal.” 

City Limits compiled this list of back to school supplies and backpack giveaways happening in the coming weeks. Heads up: most events are first-come, first-serve and have limited inventory available, and require the child or children be present.

Know one we missed? Email editor@citylimits.org.

For residents in Queens City Council District 22: City Councilmember Tiffany Cabán will host the following backpack distribution events, co-hosted by Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, State Senator Kristen Gonzalez, Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas, Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, Big Reuse, the Hispanic Federation, the NYC District Council of Carpenters, and other partners. Backpacks will be given out on a first-come, first-serve basis, one per child (the child must be present):  

Wednesday, Aug. 20: 4 to 6 p.m. Gorman Playground, 25th Avenue between 84th & 85th Streets in Queens

Saturday, Aug. 23: 1 to 4 p.m. at NYCHA’s Astoria Houses, 4-05 Astoria Blvd., Queens

New York Restoration Project will hold several backpack and school supply giveaways throughout the month of August at NYRP gardens. Learn more and register at nyrp.org/backpacks:

Friday, Aug. 22: Essex Street Community Garden (Cypress Hills, Brooklyn) featuring a cooking demo with chef Genny Mack

Saturday, Aug.  23: McLeod’s Community Garden (Brownsville, Brooklyn) & Los Amigos Community Garden(East Harlem, Manhattan)

Friday, Aug.  29: Bed-Stuy Community Garden (Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn) in partnership with Councilmember Chi Ossé

Saturday, Aug, 30: Target Bronx Community Garden (Highbridge, The Bronx) featuring a cooking demo with chef Brandy Cochrane & Creston Avenue Playground (Fordham, The Bronx)

Saturday, Aug. 30: Creston Avenue Playground (Fordham, The Bronx)

Sunday, Aug. 31: Eastchester Road Community Garden (Eastchester, The Bronx) in partnership with Councilmember Kevin C. Riley

NYC Health and Hospitals:

Jacobi Back To School Health Fest: Friday, Aug. 22, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 1400 Pelham Parkway South, Bronx, NY 10461, Pedestrian Mall

Elmhurst Summer Yoga: Friday, Aug. 22,  12 to 1 p.m. at 79-01 Broadway, 4th Floor Room D4-17A, Elmhurst, NY 11373

Lincoln back to school health fest: Wednesday, Aug. 27 (Rain Date: Thursday, Aug. 28),  11a.m. to 2 p.m. at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln, 234 E. 149th St, Bronx, NY 14051, Great Lawn

NYC Health and Hospitals North Central Bronx Back to school health fest: Friday, Aug. 29, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 3424 Kossuth Ave., Bronx, NY 10467 (Kossuth Avenue between 208th and 210th streets)

NYC Health and Hospitals Elmhurst Mental Health and Wellness Block Party: Saturday, Sept. 6, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., 41st Avenue and 80th Street, Elmhurst, Queens

Queens Library events:

Thursday, Aug 21, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the East Elmhurst Library, 95-06 Astoria Boulevard, East Elmhurst, NY 11369. More here.

Tuesday, Aug. 26, 12 to 3 p.m. at the Elmhurst Library, 86-07 Broadway, Elmhurst, NY 11373. More here.

Thursday, Aug. 28, 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the South Hollis Library, 204-01 Hollis Avenue, South Hollis, NY 11412. More here.

Pentecostal Church of God will be hosting a back to school giveaway on Saturday, Aug. 23 between 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 2310 Cortelyou Road, Brooklyn, NY 11226

Backpack Giveaway presented by New York City Councilmember Robert F. Holden: Wednesday, Aug, 20, 3 to 5 p.m. (while supplies last) at 58-38 69th St., Maspeth, NY 11378. Participants must reside in the 30th City Council district and have their children present with them. Event is hosted collaboration with Broadway Stages, Greater Ridgewood Youth Council, Madison Square Garden and Maspeth Town Hall.

Gateway Center Back To School Fest: Saturday, Aug. 23, 1 to -3:30 p.m. at Gateway Center Mall located at 579 Gateway Drive, Brooklyn, NY 11239. Live DJ, face painting, photo booth, games and more.

State Sen. Nathalia Fernandez Backpack Giveaway: Saturday, Aug. 23, 12 to 4 p.m. at 3025 Cross Bronx N. Service Rd., Bronx, NY 10465. Supplies are limited.

EmblemHealth and Neighborhood Care’s special back-to-school event and giveaway: Aug. 28, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at 88-31 55th Avenue, Elmhurst, NY 11373

Gerritsen Beach Library: Aug. 28 between 4 to 7 p.m. at 2808 Gerritsen Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11229. Organized by City Councilmember Mercedes Narcisse. One backpack per child. First come, first served. For more information, call 718-241-9330.

Back to School Homecoming 2025: Saturday, Sept. 6, 10  a.m. to 3 p.m. at PS/ MS 206 Schoolyard, 508 East 120th St., New York, NY 10035. Family fun, arts and crafts, face painting, music, games, giveaways, backpacks, school supplies, food, health care information 

University Settlement and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine’s backpack giveaway: Sept. 7, 1 to 3 p.m,184 Eldridge St., New York, NY

Midwood Block Association:  Families are invited to enjoy a fun-filled day with free school supplies for students, music, food, games, raffles, and more: Sept. 13, 2 to 5 p.m., located at 200 Midwood St., Brooklyn, NY 11225.

The post Upcoming Backpack & School Supplies Giveaways in NYC appeared first on City Limits.

By LARRY NEUMEISTER, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge who presided over the sex trafficking case against financier Jeffrey Epstein has rejected the government’s request to unseal grand jury transcripts.

The ruling Wednesday by federal Judge Richard Berman in Manhattan came after the judge presiding over the case against British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s former girlfriend, also turned down the government’s request.

Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after her conviction on sex trafficking charges for helping Epstein sexually abuse girls and young women. Epstein died in jail awaiting trial.

A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment.

Berman said the information contained in the Epstein grand jury transcripts “pales in comparison to the Epstein investigative information and materials in the hands of the Department of Justice.”

According to Berman’s ruling, no victims testified before the Epstein grand jury. The only witness, the judge wrote, was an FBI agent “who had no direct knowledge of the facts of the case and whose testimony was mostly hearsay.” The agent testified over two days, on June 18 and July 2, 2019. The rest of the grand jury presentation consisted of a PowerPoint slideshow shown during the June 18 session and a call log shown during the July 2 session, which ended with grand jurors voting to indict Epstein. Both of those will also remain sealed, Berman ruled.

Maxwell’s case has been the subject of heightened public focus since an outcry over the Justice Department’s statement last month saying that it would not be releasing any additional documents from the Epstein sex trafficking investigation. The decision infuriated online sleuths, conspiracy theorists and elements of President Donald Trump’s base who had hoped to see proof of a government cover-up.

Since then, Trump administration officials have tried to cast themselves as promoting transparency in the case, including by requesting from courts the unsealing of grand jury transcripts.

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“The government is the logical party to make comprehensive disclosure to the public of the Epstein file,” Berman wrote in an apparent reference to the Justice Department’s refusal to release additional records on its own while simultaneously moving to unseal grand jury transcripts.

“By comparison,” he added, “the instant grand jury motion appears to be a ‘diversion’ from the breadth and scope of the Epstein files in the Government’s possession. The grand jury testimony is merely a hearsay snippet of Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged conduct.”

Meanwhile, Maxwell was interviewed at a Florida courthouse weeks ago by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, and the House Oversight Committee had also said that it wanted to speak with Maxwell. Her lawyers said they would be open to an interview but only if the panel were to ensure immunity from prosecution.

In a letter Maxwell’s lawyers, Rep. James Comer, the committee chair, wrote that the committee was willing to delay the deposition until after the resolution of Maxwell’s appeal to the Supreme Court. That appeal is expected to be resolved in late September.

Comer wrote that while Maxwell’s testimony was “vital” to the Republican-led investigation into Epstein, the committee would not provide immunity or any questions in advance of her testimony, as was requested by her team.

This illustration provided by W.M. Keck Observatory depicts the insides of an exploding star. (Adam Makarenko/W. M. Keck Observatory via AP)

By ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN, AP Science Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Scientists for the first time have spotted the insides of a dying star as it exploded, offering a rare peek into stellar evolution.

Stars can live for millions to trillions of years until they run out of fuel. The most massive ones go out with a bang in an explosion called a supernova.

Using telescopes that peer deep into space, researchers have observed many such explosions. The cosmic outbursts tend to jumble up a dying star’s layers, making it hard for scientists to observe the inner structure.

But that wasn’t the case for the new discovery, a supernova called 2021yfj located in our Milky Way galaxy.

The collapsing star’s outermost layers of hydrogen and helium had peeled away long ago, which wasn’t surprising. But the star’s dense, innermost layers of silicon and sulfur had also shed during the explosion.

“We have never observed a star that was stripped to this amount,” said Northwestern University’s Steve Schulze, who was part of the discovery team that published the research Wednesday in the journal Nature.

The finding lends evidence to ideas scientists have about how large stars look near the end of their lives, organized into layers with lighter elements on the outside and heavier ones close to the core.

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“Because so many of the layers had been stripped off this star, this basically confirmed what those layers were,” said Anya Nugent, who studies supernovas at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. She was not involved with the new research.

It’s not yet clear how this star got so whittled down — whether its layers were flung off violently in the final stages of its life or yanked away by a twin star. Future research may yield clues, though scientists acknowledged such an event may be tough to capture again.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.