The Briefly for August 8, 2019 – The "Boycotting Mega Rich Trump Supporters is Messy Business" Edition

How should the city's justice system fight gun violence? The NYPD and Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez have differing opinions, and no matter how difficult it is for them to see eye-to-eye on the matter, no one can ignore that shootings are up 10% and gun arrests are up 91% in Brooklyn. (NY Times)

It was a mass panic in Times Square as people fled for safety, storming bars or theaters, literally anywhere to escape what sounded like gunshots. It was a motorcycle backfiring. (NY Times)

You might be surprised how many playgrounds are built on top of cemeteries. (Untapped Cities)

On Wednesday, the outrage machine was aimed at Stephen Ross, the billionaire behind the Hudson Yards whose company owns Equinox, who is hosting a fundraiser for President Trump this weekend to the tune of a quarter-million dollars per person. People are calling on Equinox members to cancel their memberships, but if you're looking to boycott businesses Ross has investments in, you better make a list, because it starts with SoulCycle, Momofuku, Milk Bar, &pizza, Beyond Sushi, and Bluestone Lane before you get into the companies his company invested in. When it comes to the mega-rich, boycotting is a messy business. (Eater)

Interested in finding out who you know that donated to Trump? Here's an easy set of instructions to follow to make family gatherings really awkward this year. (Splinter)

Now that the primary is officially over, Melinda Katz is focused on the Queens DA election. (amNY)

If we've learned anything from the Katz/Cabán DA primary battle, it is that all votes count in NYC and everyone has to be extremely careful to make sure they fill out their ballots, affidavit or not, properly. (Gothamist)

Governor Cuomo is attempting to shape the Democratic Primary by asking all candidates to endorse a list of gun reforms including banning assault weapons, creating a database to prevent the mentally ill from purchasing weapons, expanding buybacks, and "red flag" legislation that would allow individuals to seek court orders preventing others from buying guns. (Politico)

After a brief suspension, @placardabuse is back on Twitter, documenting all the different ways that cars with parking placards regularly abuse the privileges their placards may grant them. (Streetsblog)

12 stand-out dishes to try in the West Village. (Eater)

Where does the water go when you flush? Easy question, complex answer. (amNY)

One World Trade's observatory has a scent, and it's there on purpose. (NY Times)

How to research a building before you move in. You don't want the reason that two-bedroom apartment is cheap to be because of the awful history of bedbug infestations. (Curbed)

An interview with State Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis, Brooklyn's last standing elected Republican. She's running for Congress to try to unseat Max Rose, possibly leaving the entire borough solidly blue in the process. (The Brooklyn Home Reporter)

The Sunshine Cinema building on the Lower East Side has been completely demolished. (Curbed)

The woman who was arrested and had her one-year-old son pulled out of her hands for sitting on the floor at a benefits office has, as expected, sued the city, the officers involved, the HRA and the NYPD. (Politico)

The city's taxi regulators voted to approve the cap on ride-hailing app vehicles and limited how long drivers can wait for fares in Manhattan. In six months, the commission will evaluate if they should issue new licenses. (Patch)

Finding a pool table at a bar is getting more and rarer, but the tables are far from gone. (amNY)

Last week a judge recommended Daniel Pantaleo be fired for using an illegal chokehold that lead to Eric Garner's death. One week later the protests have begun as the mayor has remained silent and the city waits for action from commissioner James O'Neill. (amNY)

The DOT announced a speed-up in the timeline for installing protected bike lanes on 4th Ave in Brooklyn, connecting Bay Ridge to Park Slope and will do so by the end of this year. While the city will never get Em Samolewicz back after she was killed by a driver in Sunset Park, her death isn't going without action from the city to protect other cyclists from meeting the same fate. (Curbed)

A fund to honor Em at Third Root Community Health Center is being established that will welcome trans women & trans femmes to receive healing services from Third Root at no cost. Em was an admin staff member since 2016. (GoFundMe)

A farm? On Staten Island? Yes, and it's part of the amenities. (The Real Deal)

Raising the minimum wage for restaurant workers hasn't hurt the restaurant industry as a whole, despite protests to the contrary every time it's proposed. (amNY)

A group of rent-stabilized tenants in the Lower East Side and Williamsburg are accusing their landlord of continuing with eviction harassment, illegal overcharges, and preferential rent hikes—despite New York's recently passed rent reform laws. (Gothamist)

Thousands of children, parents and staff members from the Harlem Children's Zone marched in this year's Children's March for Peace. The match started after an elementary school girl was hit with a stray bullet inside her apartment 25 years ago and with the recent rise in gun violence across the city and country, its message is needed more than ever. (amNY)

The mayor announced $9 million to revitalize social services in Brownsville in response to the recent mass shooting for anti-gun violence programs, to enhance response times from the Brooklyn Action Center, youth education programs, to hire more staff for the recreation center, and more. Last week Jumaane Williams called for more funding and not police to address future problems in the neighborhood. (Brooklyn Paper)

The 12 hottest lunch spots right now. (Eater)