The Briefly for April 16, 2020 – The "Quarantine Cannibal of New York City" Edition
Today - Low: 38˚ High: 49˚
Clear throughout the day.
It looks like we may have a plan to reopening the state. This week the state is starting with 2,000 finger prick antibody tests a day and asked the FDA to expedite tests for 100,000 New Yorkers a day. That really makes the city's plan of producing 50,000 tests a week seem puny. (Dana Schulz for 6sqft) Sometime you just wanna hear someone talk. Check out there oral histories of different NYC neighborhoods. (Shaye Weaver for Time Out) A guide to restaurants that are now selling groceries. (Robert Sietsema for Eater) A conversation between historian Daniel Okrent and Times architecture critic Michael Kimmelman about the art deco of Rockefeller Center. (Michael Kimmelman for NY Times) The New York City quarantine cannibal allegedly killed and partially ate his father. (Rose Adams for Brooklyn Paper) Are those free books on the sidewalk safe from germs? (Kim Velsey for NY Times) What are New Yorkers reading in quarantine? According to the list of the most checked out books from the NYPL, it's Becoming by Michelle Obama. (Will Gleason for Time Out) At $20.3 million, it's the most expensive home ever sold in Brooklyn. The view is pretty good. (Amy Plitt for Curbed) This morning, Mayor de Blasio expressed a desire in grocery stores to force shoppers to wear masks. (Nikita Richardson for Grub Street) Flexing his muscle, Governor Cuomo made it happen, even if there is no fine for violating the order. (Kathleen Culliton for Patch) President Cuomo? According to the betting markets, there's a 3% chance. (Jordan Muller for Politico) RIP Jimmy Webb, the longtime manager and buyer for the East Village's Trash & Vaudeville. The cause of death was cancer. (Ben Yakas for Gothamist) The MTA initially asked for $3.7 billion to help keep the agency running, turns out the amount of money needed is actually closer to $12 billion. (Gersh Kuntzman for Streetsblog) If you're a nurse, you shouldn't have to sue your employer in order to get personal protective equipment in a pandemic, and yet here we are. The New York State Nurses Association is filing three lawsuits against the Montefiore Health System and Westchester Medical Center for not following guidance from the state's health department. (Amanda Eisenberg for Politico) Where's your stimulus payment? There's a tool to check your status. (Adam Nichols for Patch) Pity Reverend Franklin Graham, who is "being harassed" by New Yorkers because he previously said that homosexuals will burn in the "flames of hell," described Islam as "evil," and railed against the "transgender lie." (Jake Offenhartz for Gothamist) What's worse than dog runs and playgrounds closed temporarily? How about no beaches open all summer? It's a possibility. (Caroline Spivack for Curbed) In what could be the worst economic crisis since the 70s, the city could be looking at 475,000 job losses and nearly $10 billion in lost revenue. (Erin Durkin for Politico) An MIT study argues New York City's public transit system was a "major disseminator" of novel coronavirus and the spread was made worse by decisions to cut service. The MTA disagrees. (Kathleen Culliton for Patch) What's it like to fly into LaGuardia? Ever been the only person on a commercial flight? (Patrick McGeehan for NY Times) Kudos to Ponyboy, which is staying creative by pairing their bottled cocktails with labels from street artist Gazoo. (Collier Sutter for Time Out) Thanks to reader @leecohen1 for today's featured photo in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park.