The Briefly for August 15, 2019 – The "Renaming Trump Tower's Address to Barack Obama Avenue" Edition

As 87% of NYCHA homes were without heat at some point last winter, there is a battle being waged amongst the city's wealthiest to see who can out-do each other with the highest of high-end amenities. (The Real Deal)

The top twelve secrets of Prospect Park. (Untapped Cities)

Do you want to sign the MoveOn.org petition to rename Fifth Avenue between 56th and 57th "President Barack H. Obama Avenue?" It just so happens that is the block where Trump Tower is located. (MoveOn)

NYC Broadway week is September 3-16, and you can get 2-for-1 tickets to 24 different shows. (amNY)

The city and state's fight against the federal government about the public charge rule is centered around a ridiculous interpretation of the Emma Lazarus's sonnet "The New Colossus," which is inscribed on the Statue of Liberty. (Patch)

Only 5 of the 25 LIRR stations in Queens are not ADA compliant and City Comptroller Scott Stringer wants answers and timelines from the MTA to rectify that. (LIC Post)

In praise of stuffed-crust pizza, Hootie and the Blowfish, and Dirty Dancing on VHS as 500 Pizza Hut stores are set to close. (Grub Street)

State Sen. Andrew Gounardes is looking to craft tougher laws to close the arbitrary distance between killing someone with or without a car being involved. (Brooklyn Paper)

A field guide to the weapons of the city's hostile architecture. (Gothamist)

13 festivals coming to the city from this week through Columbus Day Weekend. (amNY)

After sharing a very obviously racist video, the Sergeants Benevolent Association President and local racist Ed Mullins literally used the "I have black friends" defense. (Gothamist)

If Patti Smith, Morrisey, or Bruce Springsteen on Broadway aren't your vibe, maybe Tom Morello Off-Broadway in September is more your speed. (Brooklyn Vegan)

A kitten dodging traffic on the lower level of the George Washington Bridge has a happy story to tell and is now available for adopting in New Jersey. (Gothamist)

Riding a horse on a beach isn't a "very Brooklyn" thing to do, but it's totally possible. (NY Times)

New York Public Radio (WNYC, WQXR, WNYC Studios, Gothamist, and the Greene Performance Space) has a new CEO in Goli Sheikholeslami, the current CEO of Chicago Public Media. (Gothamist)

The latest lawsuit against the 14th St busway argues the MTA's removal of bus stops along the route as part of the select service upgrade violates the Americans with Disabilities Act. (amNY)

169 lawsuits were filed in the city during the first day of the Child Victim's Act, including cases against the Boy Scouts of America, the Catholic dioceses, and Rockefeller University. (Patch)

Okay, so the summer is coming to a close soon. What do you do with your air conditioner? (Gothamist)

If you're headed to Jacob Riis beach this Saturday but don't want to be far from Emmy squared's delicious Detroit-style pizza, you're in luck, because the Clinton Hill/Williamsburg pizzeria is "delivering" between 1 and 1:45 pm. (Time Out)

A second NYPD officer committed suicide this week, the ninth NYPD suicide in 2019. A name has not yet been released. (amNY)

Video: Headmistress and burlesque dancer Jo Weldon on found freedom, fun and her calling in underground nightlife. (Huff Post)

A Space Jam mural was painted on the basketball court at Rodney Park North in Williamsburg, but the paint that the Parks Department used made the court slippery and unusable. (Brooklyn Paper)

A sanitation worker swapped out the license plates on his car with a set he found in the trash and almost got away with $17,000 in tickets and fines, but he was caught by the Department of Investigation. (Patch)

From The Onion, but you almost might think it was true: NYPD Tickets Dead Cyclist For Obstructing Bike Lane. (The Onion)

This sounds like it could be The Onion, but this is real. Alex Goldmark (from NPR's Planet Money) was pulled over on his bicycle and given a citation for riding outside of the bike lane on a street where no bike lane exists, which is not illegal. It would be funny if it weren't an example of the NYPD not having an understanding of the laws they are supposed to enforce. (Patch)

Time Out updated their list of the "best New York pizzas you have to eat" but #3 is inside of their own food hall, so be wary. (Time Out)