The Briefly for February 23-25, 2021 – The "Movie Theaters Reopen on March 5" Tuesday Edition
Today - Low: 34˚ High: 40˚
Drizzle in the morning and afternoon.
• Only an idiot would steal a bunch of merchandise from a Chanel store and then brag online about having enough merchandise to open a small boutique. Meet Eric Spencer, that alleged idiot, who was arrested in Florida for allegedly sticking up a SoHo Chanel store in broad daylight earlier this month. (Jake Offenhartz for Gothamist)
• Thanks to a deathbed confession, there is new evidence that the NYPD and FBI conspired in the assassination of Malcolm X. (Sydney Pereira for Gothamist)
• The Metropolitan Opera may not return in 2021. The Met’s General Manager Peter Gelb is trying to cut wages 30% long term across the opera's workforce and the stage employee union is standing up to Gelb with the campaign "Without People the Opera is Nothing." (Bobby Panza for I Love the Upper West Side)
• New York City movie theaters can reopen on March 5 at 25% capacity and PCR tests will not be required to enter. (Shaye Weaver for Time Out)
• The Times questions if Governor Cuomo's bullying style can still work in politics, detailing years of intimidation, insults, and threats. (Jesse McKinley and Luis Ferré-Sadurní for NY Times)
• As reported last week, Pearl River Mart is re-opening this spring in a new location in Soho. (Elie Z. Perler for Bowery Boogie)
• Ask an epidemiologist: Dr. Jessica Justman on how to stay safe on the subway. The clean surfaces don't matter nearly as much as wearing a mask and keeping your distance. (Sydney Pereira for Gothamist)
• MTA transit crews will now give out a second mask to anyone who asks for it. (Anna Ben Yehuda for Time Out)
• Interview: What it's like to start a nursing career during the Covid-19 crisis. (Alexa Shahrestani for Bedford + Bowery)
• While not NYC specific, this data visualization of the 500,000 American deaths due to the Coronavirus is absolutely staggering and worth of your time to understand its impact. (Sam Hart for Reuters)
• Advocates for charter schools hope more can reopen soon, after a judge ruled the city must include them in the program that provides free weekly tests at traditional public schools. The city is appealing the ruling, arguing the city's obligation to provide free, random sample testing beyond Department of Education schools. (Jessica Gould for Gothamist)
• The city now has a “recovery czar,” whatever that means. Recovery from the pandemic seems like it should be the top focus of the mayor, but since we haven't fully recovered yet from Hurricane Sandy, we can hardly expect the mayor to treat this like it's his job either. (Matt Troutman for Patch)
• New FEMA-managed vaccination sites will open on Wednesday at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn and York College in Queens with appointments available for people who are currently eligible and live in nearby zip codes. (Sydney Pereira for Gothamist)
• Despite what the mayor has publicly said, some second doses of the Covid-19 vaccine were delayed by the weather. NYC Health + Hospitals claim they will be resupplied by mid-week. (Caroline Lewis for Gothamist)
• Madison Square Garden announced its first concert in 2021. Colombian reggaeton artist Maluma is scheduled to perform on October 1. (Amanda Hatfield for BrooklynVegan)
• The Peoples Improv Theater is vacating its main location on East 24th Street. The PIT List and Pioneers bar on 29th St will remain for now. (Anne Victoria Clark for Vulture)
• The NYCHA keeps poisoning kids with lead with apartments they declare are "lead-free." It is shameful that the city has poisoned over 1,000 children in the last decade. (Greg B. Smith for The City)
• This is a great moment to ask the question "What is the NYCHA?" and other questions about public housing. (Rachel Holliday Smith for The City)
• The City Council seems ready to take a serious look at reducing certain helicopter traffic around the city to the degree that they can. (Gersh Kuntzman for Streetsblog)
• Podcast: Guiddalia Emilien discusses her run for mayor. (Ben Max for Gotham Gazette)
• Who is running for Staten Island borough president? Surprise! They're both Republicans. (David Cruz for Gothamist)
• If you're horny for watching Trump lose, I've got some great news for you. The Supreme Court denied the unemployed Florida man's attempts to block Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance from obtaining eight years of his personal tax records. A grand jury will see his tax records "almost immediately." (Jake Offenhartz for Gothamist)
• The city is severing its contracts with the Trump Organization to operate the Wollman Rink and Lasker Rink in Central Park ahead of April. The rinks will stay open through the end of the season despite the city first announcing they would close early. (Sydney Pereira for Gothamist)
• Photos: Check out these massive, climbable sculptures are headed to MoMA PS1. (Shaye Weaver for Time Out)
• Photos: The Lake in Central Park is frozen solid! (Michelle Young with photography by Ryan Lahiff for Untapped New York)
• 10 black baseball sites in New York City. (Dave Kaplan for Untapped New York)
• The best doughnut shops in the city. (Swathi Reddy for Thrillist)
Thanks to reader Francesca for today's featured photo!