The Briefly for April 3, 2019 – The "Ghosting Capital of the World" Edition
Bay Ridge's greatest Italian hero is vegan? Sacrilege! (Eater)
With the eventual plastic bag ban taking place next year, the city is also considering a $0.05 fee for paper bags to benefit the NYC Environmental Protection Fund and go towards giving low-income New Yorkers and the elderly reusable bags for free. (Gothamist)
New York City is the capital of ghosting. 41% of New Yorkers say they've been ghosted, higher than any of the other 48 cities surveyed. (Time Out)
The Zagat guide book is coming back for New York City and your vote matters, much like participatory budgeting. You voted for participatory budgeting, right? (NY Times)
Here’s how the new mansion tax will affect luxury real estate. (Curbed)
The 10 best spots for plant classes. (6sqft)
We're #1! #1 in the highest chunk of our paychecks that go towards taxes. (Patch)
Chanel Lewis is guilty of the 2016 killing of Karina Vetrano. It was Lewis's second trial. (Gothamist)
Yesterday was one of six Gender Pay Gap days, and in New York, the gap has only gotten worse. (Gothamist)
The Tony Luke’s Philly cheesesteak has arrived in New York. Is it any good? (Grub Street)
So maybe escape rooms are dangerous if you, you know, can't actually escape? (Gothamist)
Tracy Morgan got a key to Brooklyn, so what did he do with it? (amNY)
Governor Cuomo got an 11.7% raise this year and will get a 12.5% raise next year and an additional 11% in 2021. Not a bad job to have. (NY Post)
There's a new chairman and CEO of the MTA, but it's a little weird the state approved Pat Foye for the job on Monday morning at 2am. (Gothamist)
Governors Island's 2019 season starts in a month and will have expanded hours and an additional ferry from Manhattan. (Curbed)
The Regional Planning Association has a suggestion to reduce traffic on the section of the BQE that needs repairs: reduce the number of lanes. (Curbed)
Missing from the state's budget? No, not legal weed. No, not a pied-à-terre tax. No, not a ban on bump stocks. No, not increased oversight. Electric scooters. (Gothamist)
A Quinnipiac University poll shows that 54% of New Yorkers are against congestion pricing. The opposition is highest in the Bronx, where 62% disagree with the passing of the new rules. (NY State of Politics)
Also in the poll is that 57% of those surveyed favor changing admissions to the city's specialized high schools. (NY Post)
Three alleged MS-13 members have been indicted on murder charges for the shooting death of a man on the 7 train platform on February 3. (Jackson Heights Post)
If you've ever stepped into the wrong car assuming it was your Lyft or Uber, you're not alone. After the death of Samantha L. Josephson, who stepped into the wrong car in South Carolina, City council Speaker Corey Johnson says a bill requiring all for-hire drivers to have illuminated signs in their windows makes sense for NYC. (NY Post)
What's behind the spike in murders in Brooklyn? (NY Times)
We're just about to get Webster Hall back and now Irving Plaza announced it will close for eight months later this year for renovations. (BrooklynVegan)
The NYPD's Inspector General's Office recommended 42 reforms in a report. Of the 42, six have been implemented, 16 have been outright rejected and the rest sit in limbo. Must be nice to make your own rules. (Gothamist)
Mayor de Blasio has suspended the proposed cuts to the FDNY, agreeing to meet with the department and unions to figure out a new deal. (NY Post)
Reports of rapes in the city have seen a slight decrease since last year, the second decrease in the last 18 months. Before December of 2018, the last time reported rapes had decreased was August 2017. (Patch)
The state budget called for a reduction of Special Olympics funding by $50,000, but after the federal government pulled all of its funding the state has reversed its decision. (NY State of Politics)
Where to eat and drink with your human (when you're a dog). (Thrillist)
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