Sugary drink tax introduce the tax was heavily funded by Mike Bloomberg. On June 30, 2017, a Cook County judge granted a temporary restraining order filed by the Illinois Retail Merchants Association and several Cook County-based grocers that prohibited the tax from being put into effect until at least July 12. The tax eventually went into effect on August 2. Due to a conflict with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, this soda tax did not apply to any soda purchases made with food stamps, which were used by over 870,000 people. Controversially, the tax affected diet drinks but not sugar-packed fruit juices. On
Empire Outlets Empire Outlets Empire Outlets New York City, also known as Harbor Commons, is a retail complex being constructed in the St. George neighborhood of Staten Island, New York City. Empire Outlets will feature 100 designer outlets and a hotel upon its completion in late 2018. It will be the first outlet mall in New York City. The mall is located next to the St. George Terminal, a major ferry, train, and bus hub. Construction on Empire Outlets started in 2015. BFC Partners, based in Brooklyn, is constructing Empire Outlets under the auspices of the developer, an Economic Development Corp named