Great news for New York residents who need rent relief due to COVID-19. Applications for $3.5 billion in aid are being accepted now to support renters and help support small businesses.

According to News 10, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that $3.5 billion in pandemic relief has been set aside specifically for rental assistance and support for small businesses.

“New Yorkers and small businesses in every corner of the State were devastated by the pandemic,” Cuomo said in a written statement. “This critical funding will help ensure New Yorkers who are experiencing financial hardship through no fault of their own will not be thrown onto the streets, while also providing stability for small businesses so they can help play a role in New York’s economic resurgence.”

Applications for the $2.7 billion in rental assistance will open today, June 1, 2021. This opens up to eligible New Yorkers behind on their rent and under pandemic-induced financial hardship. The program will prioritize vulnerable populations for its first 30 days. After July 1, applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis until funds run out.

You can read more on the program here, and how to apply.

Cuomo: New York State Can’t Legally Mandate Vaccine For Students

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that all New York State schools will reopen for full in-person learning for the 2021-2022 school year beginning in September, based on the current COVID trajectory.

According to the Hudson Valley Post, Cuomo is now saying that as of now students won't be mandated to get a COVID vaccine because New York can’t legally require vaccines when it's only been approved for emergency use.

"By law, you can't mandate vaccines if it's emergency use," Cuomo said on Monday.

Things could change by the start of the upcoming school year if the FDA gives full approval to the vaccine. Cuomo didn't announce what he plans to do if the FDA gives full approval. You can read more here.

LOOK: Here are the 50 best beach towns in America

Every beach town has its share of pluses and minuses, which got us thinking about what makes a beach town the best one to live in. To find out, Stacker consulted data from WalletHub, released June 17, 2020, that compares U.S. beach towns. Ratings are based on six categories: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life. The cities ranged in population from 10,000 to 150,000, but they had to have at least one local beach listed on TripAdvisor. Read the full methodology here. From those rankings, we selected the top 50. Readers who live in California and Florida will be unsurprised to learn that many of towns featured here are in one of those two states.

Keep reading to see if your favorite beach town made the cut.

LOOK: Here Are 30 Foods That Are Poisonous to Dogs

To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.

 

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