The Briefly for June 6, 2019 – The "We Can't Stop The Ratpocalypse or Rising Sea Levels" Edition

Uber is offering helicopter rides between lower Manhattan and JFK Airport. Uber Copter kicks off on July 9 and will be available during afternoon commutes. (NY Times)

The Department of Housing Preservation and Development is pushing a new program that would name a "Tenant of Record," which would end succession rights, which allows relatives to take over their homes after the primary resident dies or moves out. (Patch)

We are headed for a ratpocalypse. Is climate change to blame? (Grist)

Before steam, NYC homes were heated with coal. If you look carefully on some sidewalks you can still find "coal holes," which allowed for easy delivery. (Ephemeral New York)

After 20 years and two locations, Park Slope's gay bar Excelsior will close on July 31. This is the second closure due to rising rents. (Brooklyn Paper)

A sealed arrest record is supposed to reduce the unjust and disproportionately burdensome effect of those records on minorities. The NYPD has decided to have its own interpretation of the law. (Gothamist)

Congrats to this year's Excellence in Design winners, which "reflect the very best of design in public works, housing, and libraries, parks, and public art." (Curbed)

Notice something new floating around the city this week? The Sing for Hope pianos are back, celebrating their 500th piano. You've got until June 23 to find a piano in the city before they are donated to schools, healthcare facilities, and community centers. (Untapped Cities)

The NYPD is withholding its lists of which officers work at which precincts, claiming stating who is working where would endanger public safety. A lawsuit from the Legal Aid Society will decide if that reasoning is valid. (Patch)

A Midtown fender bender is not news, but it is when one of the cars is driven by Tracy Morgan and it's a new $2 million Bugatti. (Gothamist)

It seems former prosecutor in the Central Park Five case Linda Fairstein doesn't know about the Streisand Effect. The woman who coerced confessions from children about a crime they didn't commit took to the internet to defend her honor after being forced to resign from Vassar's board of trustees from a student body that did not want her there because of her involvement in the case. (The Root)

Where to eat something quick if you're running late to a Broadway show. (The Infatuation)

How long would you stay in a rent-stabilized apartment if you could? Ed Higgins has been renting an apartment on Ludlow St for 43 years. His rent in 1976 was $100 a month and now it's still under $600. (6sqft)

Polly Trottenberg, a voice of sanity on the MTA's board, is resigning effective immediately upon being replaced. She was a de Blasio nomination in 2014 and has been highly critical of Governor Cuomo's initiatives in the past. She did not state a reason for her resignation. (Politico)

What's going on with the F train this week? A dead baby shark (do do do do do do) was found on an F train platform in Manhattan. (Gothamist)

The city's Fair Fares program has 50,000 participants, and a big help was the expansion of the program in April. The program will expand in 2020 to any New Yorker living under the poverty line. (Curbed)

The de Blasio administration has begun seizing ice cream trucks from owners who are accused of evading nearly $4.5 million in fines. It seems that shell corporations aren't just for our presidents anymore, because 76 ice cream trucks changed hands between shell corporations to avoid paying traffic and parking tickets. The city has seized 46 trucks so far. (Patch)

It seems the one thing the city's politicians can agree on is the new entrance designs for Penn Station. (Downtown Express)

ThriveNYC provides no tangible support for the city's students and councilmember Mark Treyger is calling for a "significant investment" in social and emotional services for students. There are over one million students in the city's public schools and only 1,335 social workers, 2,958 guidance counselors and 560 school psychologists supporting those students. There are more safety agents than all those combined. (Brooklyn Daily Eagle)

A paid witness used by the defense of Daniel Pantaleo, the officer accused of killing Eric Garner with an illegal chokehold, claimed Garner's death could not have been caused by the hold. He was not present when it occurred and his appearance in court was paid by the defense. (amNY)

Over 100,000,000 have seen The Lion King on Broadway with over 9,000 performances, which are two staggering numbers. (CBS New York)

Councilman Antonio Reynoso announced he is running for Brooklyn Borough President once Eric Adams' term limits have run out in 2021. (Brooklyn Paper)

After months of presentations and public feedback, the MTA announced a draft plan to improve the Bronx's buses by improving speeds, reliability and streamlining routes that haven't changed in decades. (Curbed)

The lawsuit against the MTA that would force the construction of elevators whenever a station is closed for improvements was given the go-ahead in the state's supreme court, stating the MTA is not about the city's Human Rights Law's prohibition of discrimination based on disability. (amNY)

15 stellar spots for raw bar. (Eater)

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