Picture of Samantha Woodruff

Samantha Woodruff

Bio: Samantha Woodruff is a graduate from Washington State University with a Bachelors in English and Technical Writing. An avid reader since childhood, she has always had a strong connection with storytelling and writing. Her interests include art, cooking, video games, and movies. Samantha is excited to join the NYC Tastemakers team and have a chance to share her work with a wider audience through this internship.
Latest News

Teens Arrested for Anti-Semitic Graffiti in Brooklyn Park

2 teenage boys were arrested after painting over 50 swastikas and other anti-semitic messages in Gravesend Park in southwest Brooklyn. The park is located in a predominantly Jewish area of the city.  Police officers arrived at the park on Monday evening after receiving a 911 call. They found more than ...

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Books

Barbie’s Bookstore Adventure

Come on, Barbie, let’s go party… at the bookstore? Mattel has announced that Barbie will be starring in her first YA (young adult) book. Set in a magical fantasy world, Barbie: Dreamscape will be written by #1 New York Times Bestselling author Alex Aster, who rose to fame with the ...

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Politics

New Legislation to Protect Bodega Cats in New York

If you live in New York City, chances are you have seen a “bodega cat”, and even if you don’t live in NYC, these furry friends are trending all over social media. But what many don’t know is that these felines are more than just pets; they are coworkers.  The ...

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Latest News

New York and New Jersey Face Serious Blood Shortages

Hospitals in New York and New Jersey are facing severe blood shortages. According to the New York Blood Center, during the weeks of Christmas and New Year’s, fewer than 10,000 donations were collected. The necessary amount of donations needed to maintain a steady supply is over 12,000 units a day.  ...

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Politics

ICE Activity Pushes Minnesota Schools to Reinstate Online Learning

Schools in Minnesota have reinstated COVID-era online learning protocols due to an increase in ICE activity in the state. Many students are afraid to go to school due to the threat of parents and caregivers being detained by ICE agents during pickup and drop-off. In an attempt to keep students ...

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Politics

Spy Software Used by ICE Agents

Let’s take a look at some of the technology ICE is using to conduct its activities in the US. Tangles and WeblocTangles is a monitoring tool that scrapes sites for posts and personal information. When ICE adds individuals to a watchlist, they are alerted whenever that person posts on social ...

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Latest News

New Jersey Legislature Passes 3 Anti-ICE Bills

Last week, New Jersey lawmakers passed a trio of bills in response to ICE actions across the United States. The passing of these bills only gained urgency after the events in Minnesota with the killing of Renee Good by an ICE agent. These bills include a variety of provisions aimed ...

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Business and Finance

How Increased Demand for AI Affects the Smart Appliance Industry

At the end of last year, Micron Technology announced that it would be focusing all sales of RAM (Random Access Memory) hardware on the Artificial Intelligence (AI) sector. This has led to a dramatic increase in RAM prices as consumer-available supplies begin to disappear. What does this mean for the ...

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Books

Books with Adult Content Shouldn’t Have Cute Cartoon Covers

Regardless of the saying, many people judge books by their covers. And why shouldn’t we? A picture is worth a thousand words, right? The design of a book cover can tell readers a lot about what’s inside. Between a book cover with a title in bold font and an image ...

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Politics

Changes to USPS Postmark Rules will Affect Mail-in Voting and Taxes

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has recently updated its postmark rules. As of December 2025, instead of mail being postmarked the day it was sent, the postmark will reflect when that piece of mail was processed by an “automated USPS sorting machine,” which means that some mail could be ...

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Food

NYC Celebrates National Bagel Day

Most food historians agree that bagels originated in Poland, created by Jewish communities. The circular shape was said to “symbolize continuity and good fortune, making a popular gift for new mothers”. It didn’t take long for these baked goods to become household staples. In the late 1800s, Jewish immigrants ...

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Sports

NCAA Basketball Rigging Scandal Related to Sports Gambling

Federal indictments against over 20 people for rigging basketball games in the US, as well as “professional contests in the Chinese Basketball Association,” were announced today. Charges included “bribery in sporting contests” and “conspiracy to commit wire fraud”. These files allege that an estimated 29 college basketball games during the ...

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