The Briefly for June 10, 2020 – The "An Actual Piece of Good News for NYC" Edition
Today - Low: 72˚ High: 80˚
Rain overnight.
Mayor de Blasio announced that while the city may seem ready for a June 22 phase two reopening, we shouldn't expect phase two to begin before July. (Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech for amNewYork Metro) Sunday was a new low for the city in a good way. Only 1% of people tested for Covid-19 tested positive. Hospital admittances were at 52 on Sunday, far from the peak at 850. Transmission is still high, with hundreds of new cases every day. This good news isn't a reason to stop being careful, it's signs that what we are doing is working. (Kathleen Culliton for Patch) City Council Speaker Corey Johnson is supporting the idea of disbanding the NYPD, looking to follow Minneapolis's lead. Police Benevolent Association President Pat Lynch is against the idea, but let's be clear about this, he doesn't get to have a seat at the table or a voice in this discussion. (Kathleen Culliton for Patch) The State Senate voted to repeal 50a. Governor Cuomo has vowed to sign the legislation. (Andrew Sacher for BrooklynVegan) City courts are scheduled to reopen starting today since their closure in March, with precautions. Outside of emergencies, most matters will still be handled virtually. (Noah Singer for Brooklyn Eagle) Here are the rules for outdoor dining, which is allowed starting with phase two, slated for June 22. (Bao Ong for Time Out) That hasn't stopped restaurants from putting out tables and chairs for customers, which are inevitably used for dining. The most blatant is the White Horse Tavern, which announced it was open for business on Instagram and has been encouraging customers to use the tables and chairs for dining. (Erika Adams for Eater) The state has released its rules for indoor dining, as portions of the state are already looking at phase three. (Tanay Warerkar for Eater) If tables aren't placed more than six feet apart, restaurants may have to construct five-foot barriers, ie. cubicles, between the tables with a maximum of 10 people per table. (Kathleen Culliton for Patch) A deeper look at six critical points for restaurants before reopening. (Ryan Sutton for Eater) The Alibi Lounge, one of the city's only Black-owned LGBTQ bars is in danger of closing. There is a GoFundMe, which is at $11,000 of its $50,000 goal. (Tanay Warerkar for Eater) When will you be ready to go back to concerts, fly in an airplane, or attend a dinner party? The Times asked 511 epidemiologists and the short version is that it could be a year or more before things come close to returning to normal. (Margot Sanger-Katz, Claire Cain Miller and Quoctrung Bui for NY Times) Today's hero is former Mayor de Blasio Senior Adviser Alison Hirsh, who resigned after the mayor's near-unconditional defense of the NYPD and will begin as an adviser to Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza in the Department of Education. (Sally Goldenberg for Politico) Now that the City Council and state legislature have rendered his opinion unnecessary for public debate, the mayor is in support of banning chokeholds and possible NYPD funding cuts. Always ready to take a stand one second after it doesn't matter. (Erin Durkin for Politico) “But right now we’re asking him to speak up, we’re asking him to stand behind his campaign, we’re asking him to stand behind his mission of equity, we’re asking him to just support us. He isn’t listening to us.” Why did Mayor de Blasio's staffers protest him on Monday? (Caroline Lewis for Gothamist) Photos: Just because curfew is over does not mean the protests in support of Black Lives Matter have stopped. (Ben Yakas for Gothamist) Portraits: Why we are protesting. (Hiram Alejandro Durán for The City) Officer Vincent D'Andraia was charged with assault for shoving a woman protesting to the ground. He'll be charged with misdemeanor assault for the incident. The victim of his assault hit her head on the ground and sustained a concussion and seizure after the attack. (John Del Signore and JB Nicholas for Gothamist) Video: Wrapping up the NYPD union's garbage rhetoric in one minute and nine seconds. (@bubbaprog) One street in each of the five boroughs will be painted to send a message to New York City: Black Lives Matter, mirroring Washington DC's tactics. The streets were not specified when the announcement was made. (Kathleen Culliton for Patch) Recent reports have been raising concerns that the NYPD’s Intelligence Division, along with the FBI, have been questioning protesters arrested on curfew violations about their political sympathies and affiliations, along with their social media behavior. This would violate a 35-year-old consent decree meant to keep the police from investigation protected political speech. (Nick Pinto for Gothamist) A guide to New York City's sculpture parks. (Noah Sheidlower for Untapped New York) Sometimes you need to turn your mind off and look at a list of banal things. Here are 11 celebrities spending their quarantine in NYC. (Michele Petry for StreetEasy) So you've optimized your bedroom and workspace while suffering through the quarantine for Covid-19, it's time to turn your attention to some creative entryway ideas. (Erika Riley for StreetEasy) Brooklyn's Community Board 1, representing Greenpoint and Williamsburg, bought itself an SUV with public funds last year, which wasn't the most popular decision. It was scheduled to hold executive committee elections this month, but the board has introduced a measure to suspend this year's elections. Nothing like an old-fashioned power grab in the middle of a crisis. (Claudia Irizarry Aponte for The City) Say farewell to whatever the hell "Rhode Island-style" pizza was supposed to be. After a year in the East Village, Violet is closing its doors. (Erika Adams for Eater) A Bronx Democrat City Councilmember who has publicly said may vote for Trump, has made openly homophobic statements, and opposes abortion. Meet Rubén Díaz Sr., who wants to represent the Bronx in Congress. (Shane Goldmacher for NY Times)
"The winner in the 15th Congressional District will face untold numbers of issues in office next year. The candidate we believe will most closely align himself with the values and goals we hold dear is Ritchie Torres. And we know only too well that the election of Ruben Diaz, Sr., would be a tragic step backwards for the cause of equality and inclusion in American society.
-Paul Schindler for Gay City News, Progressives Must Unite Around Ritchie Torres in the Bronx
Photos: Congrats to the winners of Coney Island USA's "Maskies" face mask competition. (Rose Adams for Brooklyn Paper) Apartment Porn: An $2 million Hamilton Heights apartment with a roof deck as big as the apartment. (Dana Schulz for 6sqft) Harlem’s Schomburg Center released the Black Liberation Reading List, a list of 95 books that foster a greater understanding of Black history and culture. (Devin Gannon for 6sqft) NYC restaurant reopening guide. (Dana Schulz for 6sqft) Thank you to reader Laura for today's featured photo!