The Briefly for August 1, 2019 – The "There Are Many Reasons to Dislike Mayor de Blasio" Edition
Congrats to Queens' Dalilah Muhammad for breaking a world record in the 400-meter hurdles. (Patch)
Sunday is Lou Reed Thai Chi Day at the Brooklyn Public Library's central branch. (amNY)
It took four days of public pressure, but the mayor has finally acknowledged the Brownsville tragedy as a mass shooting. According to the mayor, he's "come to realize it's critical we call this what it was." Would he have changed his mind if not for being publicly chastized about his choice of words? (Brooklyn Daily Eagle)
"De Blasio Appealing To Rural Voters By Touting Destruction Of New York City Under His Watch." This article from The Onion is so close to reality it’s almost not funny. (The Onion)
All of the 2020 candidates' favorability ratings increase with the most national exposure they have, except Bill de Blasio. The mayor is the only presidential candidate with a net favorability rating that is under zero. (FiveThirtyEight)
The biggest problem with the mayor is that there are a lot of petty reasons to dislike him, from the time he maybe killed a groundhog in Staten Island to his refusal to not be driven eleven miles to work out, to just being painfully uncool, but for every petty reason there is a substantive reason like his handling of Eric Garner's death or his multiple ethics scandals or his handling of the Amazon HQ2 situation. Who would continue to run for president despite being universally disliked and polling at virtually zero? The same kind of person that would see 75% of the city he is the mayor of doesn't want him to run for president in the first place and do it anyway. (Vox)
The mayor is on the presidential trail claiming the city will pass a paid personal leave bill this year, but the city council is not committed to his timeline. (Gotham Gazette)
15 new public art installations not to miss this month. (Untapped Cities)
Governor Cuomo signed a bill into law that prohibits school districts to allow teachers or administrators from carrying guns in schools. To quote the governor, the answer to the nation's school shooting problem "has never been and never will be more guns." (NY Times)
Have you noticed a steady stream of news about the governor signing bills into law this month? It's a strategy that Cuomo uses to stay in the news during an otherwise quiet month of the year. (Politico)
Video: What is Louise Jean Signore from the Bronx's secret to living to 107? Never get married! (Welcome2TheBronx)
The roof of Essex Crossing houses the Essex Crossing Farm. At 10,000 square feet, it's the largest urban farm in Manhattan and their annual goal is at least 10,000 pounds of produce a year. (Bedford + Bowery)
7 minority-owned businesses in Bushwick. (Bushwick Daily)
The mayor is still on pace to hit 300,000 new affordable housing units by 2026, but production has dropped by 22% this year. The difference from 32,344 to 25,299 can partially be attributed to a rare deal made in 2018 for 5,000 units, and not the rent reform laws passed this year, as landlord advocates have claimed. (Gothamist)
The city could do a lot with $40 million, but it's spent that amount on misconduct lawsuits against the NYPD since January. (Gothamist)
A look at Jay Myself, a documentary which takes a look at the longtime owner of one of the city's most enigmatic buildings. (Curbed)
City Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer is calling for a Long Island City bike lane network. (LIC Post)
What has the city done to prevent cyclists from getting doored? "Basically nothing," according to the founder of the Dutch Reach project. (Gothamist)
How to stay safe as a cyclist, and of course all drivers should know about the Dutch reach. (Brooklyn Based)
A group of luxury homeowners sued to try to stop the city from installing protected bike lanes on Central Park West. It was denied by a judge and construction has begun. (Gothamist)
An interview with Sally Tallant, the new director of the Queens Museum. (Untapped Cities)
The story of 24-year-old David Ballinger, who learned the hard way through a nearly unbelievable series of events that when it comes to finding an apartment in New York City, don't trust anyone. (Gothamist)
City Comptroller and mayoral hopeful Scott Stringer's latest opinion piece: We need a childcare revolution in N.Y.C. (The Villager)
Mayoral hopeful and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams's latest opinion piece makes the appeal for the Brownsville shooting not to reduce the neighborhood to a stereotype, drawing comparisons to the president's recent treatment of Baltimore. (Brooklyn Daily Eagle)
Have you noticed that Amazon seems to be interested in all of New York City except Long Island City? (LICtalk)
Three Republicans in the state's legislature want to make throwing water on police officers a felony. The Legal Aid Society called the proposed legislation "embarrassing." (Patch)
The cause of death for Layleen Cubilette-Polanco, the transgender inmate found dead in her Rikers Island cell last month, was due to an epileptic seizure. (Gothamist)
The top 10 hidden beaches in NYC. (Untapped Cities)
A day on City Island, which sounds like a little slice of a small New England beach town in the city. (NY Times)
Spend a day in Little Odessa, a neighborhood in complement to Brighton Beach. (amNY)
A look at the fascinating history of Coney Island's Sea Gate community. (6sqft)
A third person has drowned at Rockaway Beach this year. (amNY)
Mustard ice cream? Yeah, it's a thing and Coolhaus is giving some away this weekend for National Mustard Day, sponsored by French's Mustard. (Gothamist)
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