🌱 A Casino At Citi Field? + $70 Million Childcare Facilities Grant

Hi all. It's me, Miranda Fraraccio, your host of the Queens Daily. Come along to find out everything you need to know about what's going on in town these days.

First, today's weather:

Partly sunny. High: 84 Low: 75.

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Here are the top three stories in Queens today:

1. Could Citi Field be the site of a new casino? Mets owner Steve Cohen has been working to secure one of the three available commercial casino licenses for downstate New York. According to sources, he has been interviewing multiple casino owners hoping to partner for the project. Cohen and his wife have donated thousands of dollars to Governor Kathy Hochul's campaign, and millions to a Pro-Mayor Adams super PAC last year. (New York Post)
2. A $70 million grant was announced by Governor Kathy Hochul on Monday. The funding will go to 344 new childcare facilities across the state. The funds were appropriated in the hopes of easing what's called "child care deserts," which can be found in parts of Queens and throughout the state. Thousands of child care programs closed down during the Covid-19 pandemic, and officials are trying to bring them back as parents return to the workplace. (WABC-TV)
3. The Queens Botanical Garden is hosting a watercolor painting class. The class will take place in the Garden's Taiwan: A World of Orchids exhibit, in the company of over 750 pots of exquisite orchids. The workshop will take place on Aug. 11 at 6:00 p.m. (Queens Botanical Garden via Facebook)

Today in Queens:

• Harbor Camp At Gantry Plaza State Park (12:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Rain has been welcomed in NYC after the hottest weekend of the year. A heat wave rocked the city all weekend and even caused some power outages. Rain has cooled down the region since then, with scattered storms on Monday. The National Weather Service issued a special weather statement for the storms. (SILive.com)
• An annual concert by the Queens Symphony Orchestra will take place at St. John's on Jul. 28 at 7:00 p.m. (Queens, New York via Facebook)
• Queens Borough President Donovan Richards is letting folks know about the Queens Bus Network Redesign Q&A Tour. The series of five Q&A sessions will gather input from residents on planned changes to the bus network. (Queens Borough President Donovan Richards via Facebook)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Wednesday. See you all tomorrow for another update!

— Miranda Fraraccio

About me: Miranda Fraraccio is a born and raised Rhode Islander, now living in New York. She works as a staff writer for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and is a graduate of The University of Rhode Island, where she earned a degree in Writing & Rhetoric and Communication Studies. In her free time, you can find her traveling, drinking tea, or photographing her neighborhood as a street photographer.