New York

Most certainly not the only drive-thru funeral parlor in the U.S., the Robert L. Adams Funeral Home in Compton, Calif., does stake claim to being the only business of its kind in the state that offers viewings for those who may want to honor the dead from the comfort of their vehicles. 

The Robert L. Adams Funeral Mortuary, opened in 1974, did not arrive at the drive-thru concept purely to cater to those who may be pressed for time and find a drive-by departing to be most convenient. 

According to the funeral home's office manager, the drive-thru service is primarily intended for elderly visitors who may find it difficult to move or for those who are physically impaired. more >>

Auditors overseeing the ballooning costs of the World Trade Center called the agency responsible for the buildings' construction "dysfunctional" for not keeping costs under control.

The estimated price tag of the World Trade Center complex has gone up $3.8 billion since 2008, when the cost was determined at around $11 billion, Navigant Consulting, Inc., said in its audit of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

The governors of New York and New Jersey ordered the audit to be conducted. Both governors have been highly critical of the Port Authority, which is responsible for the airports, seaports and river crossings in the New York City area, according to The Associated Press. more >>

Renowned Pastor Tim Keller is speaking out for the first time against New York City's ban on church use of public school buildings.

"Grieved" that more than 60 churches will be forced out of public schools this month, Keller called the city's ban "unwise" and is hoping for a reversal.

"It is my conviction that those churches housed in schools are invaluable assets to the neighborhoods that they serve," the senior pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church said in a statement Tuesday. "Churches have long been seen as positive additions to communities. Family stability, resources for those in need, and compassion for the marginalized are all positive influences that neighborhood churches provide." more >>

The New York Senate passed a bill Monday to reverse the New York City school district's ban on worship services at its schools. Sponsored by Sen. Martin J. Golden, (R-Brooklyn), it passed 54-7.

During the voting process, Golden said that the bill was about equal access. "What this bill does is for the churches that are in school buildings to remain in those school buildings and to do their services in those buildings."

But the fight isn't over yet, as the bill still has to pass in the House where its future is less certain and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has added his own complications to the issue. He refused to hear the Senate bill on Monday, saying he was going to work on his own version. more >>

New York City and state officials and religious leaders on Monday urged the state legislature to pass a bill authorizing religious meetings in public school property.

Assemblyman Nelson L. Castro organized a press conference in Albany, N.Y., to discuss State Assembly Bill A8800 and State Senate Bill 6087A, that would allow houses of worship to rent empty spaces in public schools during non-school hours.

New York City Councilmember Fernando Cabrera told The Christian Post that the Senate is set to vote on Senate Bill 6087A today and he believes "it's going to pass." The assembly is not expected to consider Bill A8800 today, according to Cabrera, and the only other time it will meet this week is Tuesday. more >>

Some 60 churches may be left homeless as a ban that prohibits worship services at New York City public schools takes effect on Sunday. While churchgoers continue to fight the ban, some are also crying foul over the lack of support from megachurches.

New York's megachurches have been mostly silent on the issue since the Supreme Court refused to hear the case of a Bronx congregation that tried to secure access to a public school auditorium for Sunday services. Some New York City church leaders wonder why the large churches have not done anything to help.

Pastor Bill Devlin of Manhattan Bible Church has helped lead the Right to Worship protests since the beginning. He told The Christian Post that a steering committee made up of 10 pastors affected by the ban came to him and asked, "Where are these pastors who have these huge churches? They have been absolutely silent." more >>