The Briefly for February 7, 2020 – The Weekend "Who Are We Saving Our City From?" Edition

Today - Low: 28˚ High: 57˚

Light rain in the morning and afternoon.

This weekend - Low: 31˚ High: 44˚

The Department of Homeland Security is blocking New Yorkers from enrolling in the Trusted Traveler Programs, including Global Entry, in a petty and spiteful move but he president to attempt to punish New York. At the center of it all is the state's Green Light Law, which allows undocumented immigrants to get driver's licenses. (Azi Paybarah for NY Times) “This is unbounded arrogance, disrespect of the rule of law, hyper-political government, and this is another form of extortion” -Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (Jesse McKinley, Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Annie Correal for NY Times) Watch the full State of the City address. (NYC Mayor's Office) The mayor's seventh State of the City address focused on helping small businesses, overhauling his affordable housing plan, boosting high school graduation rates and investing in green energy. (Joe Anuta for Politico) Our idiot mayor's theme for his speech was "Save Our City." Listen jackass, who are you saving it from? You've been in charge for six years now, you are the person this city needs to be saved from. He claims to be energized from his abject failure of a presidential run, which no one wanted him to do in the first place. (Emma G. Fitzsimmons and Jeffery C. Mays for NY Times) The mayor's goal of creating 300,000 units of affordable housing may not be possible with neighborhoods pushing back against the city's attempted rezonings. With the de Blasio administration seeing rezonings of wealthy neighborhoods as politically impossible, the burden unfairly falls on lower-income or minority neighborhoods. (Caroline Spivack for Curbed) After a decade of disenfranchising development that displaces different neighborhoods' denizens, lower-income and minority communities feel it's necessary to fight back. (Stefanos Chen for NY Times) Does Vision Zero need saving? The mayor unveiled "Vision Zero Unit", 100 NYPD officers tasked with patrolling hot spots where pedestrians and cyclists have been killed. There are very few people that believe a new NYPD unit, rather than better training, will make a difference. (Julianne Cuba for Streetsblog) Are you thinking about popping the question next week? The 10 best places in NYC to propose. (Rebecca Fishbein for 6sqft) Take a look up on Saturday night and you'll find a super snow moon. (Shaye Weaver for Time Out) Subway riders beware: The Subway Social Club is trying to make the subways "friendlier" by talking to strangers on the train. An admirable goal, but please oh god don't talk to me on the subway. (Jen Carlson for Gothamist) Bar cars, a place for socializing, on MetroNorth and the LIRR are a thing of the past. A look back at the tiki bar car on MetroNorth. (Michelle Young for Untapped New York) So broker's fees are gone for apartment rentals, here's what it means. There are still situations where a broker's fee will apply, it all depends who hires the broker. (Valeria Ricciulli for Curbed) Have you bought a lottery ticket in Long Island City or at Nonna's Kitchen & Deli in the Bronx? The state lottery is waiting for you to pick up your $1 million prize. (Emily Davenport for amNewYork Metro) How to donate or dispose of furniture in the city. (Zachary Solomon for StreetEasy) An ICE officer shot someone while on duty at a private residence in Brooklyn. Why do ICE agents have guns? (Sydney Pereira for Gothamist) All twelve members of the New York City Council’s women’s caucus are calling for the resignation of Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance over his perceived mishandling of a multiple high-profile sexual assault cases, including Harvey Weinstein, Jeffrey Epstein, and Robert Hadden, the gynecologist who abused women during gynecological exams. (Gwynne Hogan for Gothamist) The newest Food Bazaar in the Bronx, at 83,000 square feet, is absolutely massive and the biggest supermarket in the borough. (Ed García Conde for Welome2TheBronx) The 31 best dive bars in the city. (Luke Fortney and Erika Adams for Eater) The Metropolitan Museum of Art is offering a new "Unhung Heroes of the Metropolitan" tour, which highlights the tiny dicks that can be found in the museum's art collection. Tickets are available for the nice price of $69 for adults. (Shaye Weaver for Time Out) A court upheld the ruling that fantasy sports websites like DraftKings and FanDuel are illegal gambling sites and a 2016 law that allowed the websites violated state law. (Sophia Chang for Gothamist) Who doesn't love telling other New Yorkers what to do? The Brooklyn Public Library is looking for votes for the "North Brooklyn Reads" poll. (Greenpointers) Photos: The mural in Brooklyn paying tribute to Gigi and Kobe Bryant. (Howard Halle for Time Out) Fred Wilpon destroyed the Mets' ability to sell the team with his insistence that continue to be involved in the team. It it wasn't for James Dolan, Fred Wilpon would be the dirt worst owner of anything in New York. (Jenna West for Sports Illustrated) LaLou, Portale, and Kindred have been added to Eater's 14 hottest brunch restaurants in the city. (Stefanie Tuder for Eater)