The Briefly for February 16, 2020 – The "Peanut Butter Bandit Needs to Be Caught" Edition
Today - Low: 36˚ High: 48˚
Clear throughout the day.
What's open and what's closed on President's Day. (Kathleen Culliton for Patch) The Bernie Sanders campaign received the presidential kiss of death over the weekend: Bill de Blasio's endorsement. De Blasio was, no doubt, looking for any excuse to leave NYC and jumped at the opportunity. (Gloria Pazmino for NY1) The subway is ubiquitious in the city, but at some point it needed to be built. The latest photo exhibition at the New York Transit Museum shows how the subway was built. (Noah Sheidlower for Untapped New York) Apartment Porn: For only $45 million, you can live like a Russian oligarch in the Plaza. The apartment used to be two separate apartments that were combined into one insane apartment covered in onyx and crystal. (Dana Schulz for 6sqft) Someone needs to stop the Peanut Butter Bandit. The worst person in the city hit the A train once more with the gooey atrocity on the poles of the train early Friday morning. (Ben Yakas for Gothamist) He helped kill the Amazon HQ2 deal, and now he's set his sights on making sure nothing like the Amazon deal ever happens again. Michael Gianaris wants to reform how the city gives tax breaks to giant companies. (Erin Hudson for The Real Deal) It's like a normal store, but it only sells flutes. (Noah Sheidlower for Untapped New York) JFK's Terminal 4 will be getting a $3.8 billion makeover. (Erin Hudson for The Real Deal) It's 3:30 am on a Wednesday and you desperately want pierogis, where will you go? Behind the scenes at Veselka, the Ukrainian restaurant that's been part of the East Village since the 50s. (Dana Schulz for 6sqft) Despite early reporting, Governor Cuomo and President Trump's meeting about the ban on New Yorkers from the Truster Traveler Program and giving the government access to New York's DMV records was "productive," but no solution was reached. (Sophia Chang for Gothamist) Caroline Baumann didn't resign as director of the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum out of nowhere, she was forced out after an investigation into her wedding found she violated policy when it came to acquiring her dress and venue. The Smithsonian isn't run by the government, but is partially funded by the government and has a similar conflict of interest policy. (Robin Pogrebin for NY Times) The ax is finally falling, all Barney's stores will close at the end of the month. (Devin Gannon for 6sqft) Only three restaurants in the city were closed last week by the Department of Health, but one of them is the city's newest member of the 100+ point violation club. (Adam Nichols for Patch) The NYC condoms have a new wrapper, but here's something that's a little confusing: The name of the wrapper design is the "NYC Legend XL." While it sounds like this is the magnum of free condoms, there's no indication if this is for your average or not-so-average New Yorker (Kathleen Culliton for Patch) The man shot in the face by an ICE agent last week plans to sue the agency and is calling for an investigation of the incident. (Rose Adams for Brooklyn Paper) Should the subway be free? According to City Councilmember Mark Treyger, the answer is yes. (Adam Thalenfeld for NYC Urbanism) Black Lives Matter President Anthony Beckford is the latest to stand up in support City Councimember Mark Treyger's call to make transit free to use. (Alex Williamson for Brooklyn Eagle) He's not alone. Meet the state's assemblymember hopefuls who agree the fairest fare is no fare at all. (Dave Colon for Streetsblog) Meet Pancakes, the Staten Island Zoo's brand newborn sloth, the cutest thing in the city. (Matt Coneybeare for Viewing NYC) The NYPD reportedly issued a subpoena to Twitter requesting access to the account of NY Post police bureau chief Tina Moore, citing the Patriot Act as their justification to try to find leaks within the department. The effort was lead by new police commissioner Dermot Shea. (Jake Offenhartz for Gothamist) It's like a grocery store, but it's an art installation where everything is made from plastic bags. The Plastic Bag Store, from Robin Frohardt, will be viewable in Times Square on March 1, coinciding with the state's plastic bag ban. (Howard Halle for Time Out) A 14-year-old boy suspected of fatally stabbing a Tessa Majors to death in a Morningside Park robbery last December has been indicted on murder charges. (Robert Pozarycki for amNewYork Metro) Rent increases are a part of life in the city, but a 500% rent increase is reprehensible. The Lola Star Gift Shop on the boardwalk in Coney Island faces a 500% increase in her rent from Luna Park and the company's owner's Zamperla. (Alyssa Paolicelli for NY1) 22 trendy restaurants you can still get into. (Hannah Albertine, Bryan Kim, Katherine Lewin, & Matt Tervooren for The Infatuation) Thanks to reader MG Ashdown for today's featured photo!