The Briefly for October 2-3, 2020 – The "Vaccinate All Your Trash Pandas" Friday Edition
Today - Low: 54˚ High: 67˚
Possible drizzle in the morning.
This weekend - Low: 51˚ High: 67˚
If you're one of the nearly 100,000 people who received incorrect ballots, the Board of Elections is sending you a few ballot. The Board of Elections is not doing much to earn our confidence in the last few years. (Brigid Bergin for Gothamist) How'd the ballots get so screwed up? Blame Phoenix Graphics, the company hired to produce the ballots, which has historically supported Republicans and was paid $4.6 million to bungle our ballots, so to speak. (Clifford Michel for The City) A look into the Brooklyn Psychedelic Society, and no, they do not provide drugs at their meetings. (Diana Kruzman for Bedford + Bowery) A group of assholes from the Upper West Side rallied for the mayor to remove 240 homeless New Yorkers from their neighborhood and the mayor gave them what they wanted. The plan is to move them into a new shelter in the Financial District. Now, of course, there is a new group of assholes in the Financial District demanding they be moved elsewhere. (Tribeca Citizen) The city is launching its annual campaign to vaccinate... the population of raccoons in the city against rabies. If you find your pet eating something that looks like a brown ketchup packet filled with a pink liquid, do your best to take it away from them, but it should not be harmful to them. (Liena Zagare for Bklyner) There are ten neighborhoods in the city with positive Covid-19 testing rates above 3%, adding Fresh Meadows and Hillcrest to the already existing list. There are seven neighborhoods, East Williamsburg, Bed-Stuy, Windsor Terrace, Brighton Beach, Crown Heights, Rego Park and Jamaica Hills whose numbers are getting close to 3%. (Alehandra O'Connell-Domenech for amNewYork Metro) An interactive map of Covid-19 cases. (Michelle Young for Untapped New York) Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that people who refuse to wear masks will be fined up to $1,000. Does this extend to police officers? There were zero fines issued on the first day of enforcement. (Noah Singer for Brooklyn Eagle) The city's plans to test 10-20% of each school every two weeks may miss large outbreaks of the virus according to a new student from NYU and recommends that half of every school be tested twice a month in order to catch outbreaks before they quickly spread out of control. (Benedict Carey, James Glanz and Eliza Shapiro for NY Times) John F. Kennedy Jr. School in Elmhurst is the first NYC school to shut down for two weeks after two positive Covid-19 cases. (Matt Troutman for Patch) “I keep saying there appears to be a real separation between what’s happening in the neighborhoods versus what’s happening in the public schools that really do have a different constituency.” - That was Mayor de Blasio before the positive tests in Elmhurst that shut down John F. Kennedy Jr. School and 100% contradicted this sentiment. He also said "We did it!" talking about opening the schools, words he would immediately come to regret if he were capable of shame. (Matt Troutman for Patch) Before schools opened, Mayor de Blasio said that children that were unwilling or unable to be tested for Covid-19 would be moved into 100% remote learning. He has backed down on that claim. (Christina Veiga for Chalkbeat) Schools are still open across the city, but a single day spike of positive test results at 3.25% is waking people up to the realizing that it's possible for the city to hit the 3% seven-day average tripwire that would shut down all schools. (Elizabeth Kim for Gothamist) Keep your eyes out for special pennies. Jill Magid is releasing 120,000 pennies into the world as part of her project "Tender," in which each penny has "The body was already so fragile" engraved on their side. (Allie Conti for NY Times) NYPD officer Eduardo Vite from East Harlem's 25th precinct was arrested for beating and pulling a gun on his girlfriend. Vite has a history of alleged domestic violence and proven complaints of on-duty misconduct. He is facing an internal investigation and remains on the force. (Jake Offenhartz for Gothamist) The NYPD committed violations of international human rights laws during the June 4 protests, according to a new report by Human Rights Watch. (Ese Olumhense for The City) Minutes after Governor Andrew Cuomo implored local governments to rethink the role of police in public safety after mass protests against racist police brutality, Cuomo said police officers should arrest people injecting drugs on city streets during a Tuesday press conference. (Sydney Pereira and Quari Alleyne for Gothamist) James W. Cahill, president of the New York State Building & Construction Trades Council, was indicted on racketeering and fraud charges along with ten current and former members of the steamfitters Local 638. (Benjamin Weiser and Jesse McKinley for NY Times) It's the last few days of Century 21, if you think you're gonna find a deal, get ready to wait in line. (NY1) Indoor dining is (sort of) back in NYC. How nervous should you be about it? (Pete Wells for NY Times) How to spot the risks of indoor dining. (Also Pete Wells for NY Times) The mayor did not eat indoors on the first night of its availability. (Erika Adams for Eater)
"Overall, the restaurants where I ate, and the many others into which I popped my head during my tour, were operating well under the mandated 25% capacity. In fact, most dining rooms everywhere remained nearly empty even as their outdoor space filled up, perhaps not surprising given the exceptionally pleasant weather yesterday evening, not to mention the whole fear of catching a terrible contagious disease thing."
-Scott Lynch, I Ate Inside A NYC Restaurant. This Is My Story for Gothamist
A last meal at Mission Chinese. (Robert Sietsema for Eater) Some bars and restaurants are fighting back against the state SLA and winning, including Lucky in the East Village. (Chris Crowley for Grub Street) Say farewell to the Islanders, who have played their last game in Brooklyn and will return to Long Island next season. (JT Torenli for Brooklyn Eagle) Is it possible that America's best bathroom is in Greely Square? Maybe it's in the JFK AirTrain station? Both have been nominated. (Michelle Young for Untapped New York)
"We, the undersigned WSN Fall 2020 Editorial Staff, have collectively decided to resign from Washington Square News, effective immediately. This was extensively deliberated in collaboration with 43 staff editors, and it was not a decision we enjoyed making. However, we understand that continuing to work at WSN in our current circumstance would do more harm than good, and we refuse to condone what we have seen over the past three weeks."
-Washington Square News Staff, We’re Resigning from WSN. Here’s Why. for Washington Square News
Queens Filipino bakery Kora is having a pop-up this weekend, featuring their innovative and extremely hard to get your hands on doughnuts. (Erika Adams for Eater) Apartment Porn: This Hell's Kitchen condo has a rooftop pool, a pocket park, a dog run, a library, and two guest suites. Apartments start at $910k for a studio. (Dana Schulz for 6sqft) New York Sports Club is being sued for fraud by the Letitia James's Attorney General office after it illegally charged customers fees during its legally mandated Covid-19 shutdown and then failed to issue reimbursements. (Sydney Pereira for Gothamist) 11 spots showing outdoor movies. I suggest Parklife on Wednesday nights, where you'll find me hosting trivia before the movie, even if The Infatuation didn't mention me I'm still linking to them! (Hannah Albertine for The Infatuation) Thanks to reader Christopher V. for today's featured photo.