The Briefly for May 6, 2020 – The "Getting Punched in the Head Feels Excessive" Edition
Today - Low: 46˚ High: 55˚
Light rain starting in the afternoon.
Last night was the start of the four-hour subway shut down for cleaning. The MTA will be testing UV lights and anti-microbial products after each car is disinfected. While the trains are shut down buses will be operating for free. (Stephen Nessen for Gothamist) The overnight shut down of the subways, explained. (Caroline Spivack for Curbed) The Times chronicled the historic night one of the MTA's first-ever planned subway shutdown. (Christina Goldbaum for NY Times) Is the end of 24-hour subway service? No, according to the governor. (Kathleen Culliton for Patch) Video: Another day, another video of NYPD officer punching a black New Yorker in the head during a social distancing arrest. "A punch should not be assumed to be excessive force." -Dermot Shea, NYPD Commissioner. The person being arrested appeared to be handcuffed, on the ground, and had three officers on top of them when punched. (Kathleen Culliton for Patch) The 10 best bike shops in New York City. (Devin Gannon for 6sqft) We've got an Aerogarden in the kitchen with some cherry tomatoes, how's your quarantine garden going? (Chris Crowley for Grub Street) Like many of us, Andy Warhol bounced around the city, and so did where he did his work, The Factory. A look at where Andy Warhol lived and worked in NYC. (Laura Vecsey for StreetEasy) Looking to work on your art in quarantine? The Metropolitan Museum of Art is offering a free botanical drawing class online. (Howard Halle for Time Out) The Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn is "ill equipped" to identify cases of COVID-19 and stop the disease from spreading among its nearly 1,700 detainees, according to a doctor who visited the federal jail last month. (Beth Fertig for Gothamist) Mariah Kennedy-Cuomo, the governor's daughter, made the suggestion that not everyone wants to listen to Governor Cuomo tell them what to do, so the state is launching a competition for New Yorkers to submit videos explaining why its important to wear masks in public. (Dana Schulz for 6sqft) It's National Nurses Week from May 6-12 commemorating Florence Nightingale's work in Crimea in 1854, and it couldn't have come at a more appropriate time to honor the nurses in the city and across the country. (Isabelle Bousquette for QNS) More information on the possible Covid-19-relate illness that has stricken over a dozen children in the city, from ages 2-15. If you have a child with a rash, abdominal pain, vomiting, or diarrhea, please contact a doctor.(Amanda Eisenberg and Erin Curkin for Politico) Welcome2TheBronx has started a fundraising campaign to continue its coverage of the Bronx. The site has been around since 2009 and has become one of the more important voices when it comes to covering and changing the narrative about the Bronx. (Welcome2TheBronx) There wasn't much good news to be found in City Comptroller Scott Stringer's analysis of the city's 2021 fiscal budget, which starts on July 1. The budget gap is looking to total about $8.7 billion and with an unemployment rate of 22% this quarter, the city is finding itself dug into a pretty deep hole. (Robert Pozarycki for amNewYork Metro) A last-minute NYC mother's day gift guide. Yes, during a pandemic, Wednesday is the last minute when it comes to Mother's Day. (The Infatuation) Video: These sidewalk tents are a pretty good way to keep your social distance. (Ben Yakas for Gothamist) Governor Cuomo is turning to The Gates Foundation to help "reimagine education" for the state of New York as we continue forward with our new normal. (Sophia Chang for Gothamist) Over 1,200 independent music venues and promoters have banded together to form the National Independent Venue Association, or NIVA, with the goal of “securing financial support to preserve the national ecosystem of independent venues and promoters.” There is a letter template you can use to send to your state and city officials to show support for the city's independent music venues. (Amanda Hatfield for BrooklynVegan) A worker at Amazon’s Staten Island, New York, fulfillment center has died of Covid-19, the company confirmed. Workers at the facility, called JFK8, have been calling for greater safety precautions since early March. (Josh Dzieza for The Verge) A look into how The Rent and Mortgage Cancellation Act, proposed by Representative Ilhan Omar, may affect you. (Localize Labs) All hail Hakki Akdeniz, the pizza champ, for distributing pizzas and snacks to those in need on the Bowery over the weekend. (Bowery Boogie) It's looking like a rainy set of days ahead, but when it gets warm here is where to get freshly made ice cream and pies in NYC. (Leah Rosenzweig for Eater) Thanks to Jenny for today's featured photo from the Upper West Side!