The Briefly for May 23, 2019 – The "Who is the Super-villain Destroying Our Commutes?" Edition
The story of a community response that saved Prospect Heights' Ode to Babel bar from becoming a victim of the NIMBY-ism that comes with gentrification. (Grub Street)
It all started with the arrest of Michael Cohen. A look behind the scenes at the full year and 450 interviews from The New York Times' investigation into how taxi medallions ever became worth $1 million. (NY Times)
Who is the city's supervillain pulling emergency brakes on subways and destroying our commutes? Whoever it is, they've been doing it for months, and possibly tears, without getting caught. (Jalopnik)
Here's how the NYC Care Card works and what it does and does not entitle you to. (Norwood News)
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is testing her political capital with an endorsement of Tiffany Cabán for Queens District Attorney, who also received endorsements from the Democratic Socialists of America, Real Justice PAC, and the Working Families Party. The primary is June 25. (NY Times)
Eight is great... unless that's the percent of people polled who have a favorable opinion of you. Mayor de Blasio's national favorability rating is below the president's and the worst among anyone running for president. (Patch)
One thing that gentrification brings to a neighborhood? Rats. You may have read about the block in Prospect Heights where the rats have basically taken over, but it's becoming a trend across the city. As more buildings have construction done, it displaces rats by destroying their burrows, forcing them to come to the surface. (NY Times)
A guide to the OMNY, which starts its slow takeover of MetroCards in 8 short days. (Curbed)
New York City is last on the list of popular destinations for retirees to live. About 15,000 seniors moved out of the city from 2016 to 2017. The top places are, unsurprisingly, Florida and Arizona. (Patch)
Video: Here's how you can help to compost with food scrap drop-offs. (Viewing NYC)
A city council proposal to exempt yellow cabs from congestion pricing is short-sighted and foolish, according to experts. Politicians are blaming the fees for a declining number of rides and not a combination of continued congestion on the roads and app-based alternatives that make yellow cabs less desirable. (Streetsblog)
Don't look now, but there are more vegan options in the city than ever and chefs are working to lure unsuspecting non-vegans to the dark side. Even fast food chains like Burger King and Taco Bell are getting onboard with plant-based options. (amNY)
The city's news moves pretty fast. Blink and you'll miss the rest of the story. What multiple people thought was a woman dressed as a character from "The Handmaid's Tale" on the verge of committing suicide turned out to be a folded up red umbrella. (Gothamist)
Congrats to Washington Heights' Maelyn Jarmon for winning season 16 of The Voice. (amNY)
Everything you need to know about raising chickens in NYC. (6sqft)
It's time to take a look at President Trump's tax returns. A bill passed the state's legislature on Wednesday that would allow the state to hand the President's state tax returns to Congress. The governor has voiced support in the past and is expected to sign the bill shortly. (Patch)
Google purchased another building in Chelsea to expand its footprint and keep on target to double the number of employees in its New York offices in the next ten years. (amNY)
The "LGBT in 2021" campaign is aimed at getting better LGBTQ representation into the City Council. (amNY)
All five borough presidents joined over 70 early childhood providers and Comptroller Scott Stringer in calling on the city to scrap its plans for pre-K and early childhood programs and start over saying the current plan would weaken the city's social safety net and hinder community-based organizations to provide early education programming. (Brooklyn Daily Eagle)
The “Summer All-Out” program will send almost 300 additional NYPD officers to high-crime areas in an attempt to reduce homicides and violent crimes. (amNY)
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