The Briefly for September 20-21, 2020 – The "Don't Call This A Staycation" Sunday Edition

Today - Low: 52˚ High: 64˚

Clear throughout the day.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg will be honored with a statue in Brooklyn. (Jen Chung for Gothamist) NYC's legal community reflects on RBG's life and work. (Sophia Chang for Gothamist) It feels insulting for for the city to push an advertising campaign that New Yorkers should "staycation" in New York City. Turns out when you remove the tourists from midtown, we still hate midtown. (Matt Coneybeare for Viewing NYC) The MTA has issued exactly zero summonses for mask non-compliance. (Stephen Nessen for Gothamist) The anatomy of an NYC protest. Which role do you play? (Juliana Kim and Simbarashe Cha for NY Times) New York City’s school reopening plans are still missing a key ingredient: enough teachers. (Christina Veiga for Chalkbeat) Parents and students react to the city's constant waffling about the start of the school year. This feels like trying to read all of your summer reading in the weekend before school starts. (Sophia Chang, Gwynne Hogan, Jessica Gould for Gothamist) The de Blasio administration released a 420-page document tracking City Hall operations for the last year. Murders are up. Juvenile arrests are up. Violent incidents in jails are up while population is down. The "excess death" rate" suggests the death toll from Covid-19 might be well over 50,000. NYPD response times are up. Response times for emergency complaints in NYCHA buildings is up. The homeless population increased. The good news? Rat complaints are down and there were new bike lanes built. (Jake Offenhartz for Gothamist) The report "Discipline in the NYPD 2019" outlines, but doesn't detail, 339 cases in which officers faced departmental charges. Cops pleaded or were found guilty in 322 of those cases. Only 27 lost their jobs. (Matt Troutman for Patch) Murderinos: Look no further than your own backyard. The untold story of the Tompkins Square murder. (David Swanson for Village Voice from 1989) Businesses around Yankee Stadium held a rally Thursday afternoon demanding that the city renegotiate the lease and tax deal that Yankee management worked out to stay in the Bronx under the Bloomberg administration, claiming that extra money obtained through the negotiation could help keep businesses surrounding the stadium stay afloat until fans are able to return to the stadium. (Todd Maisel for amNewYork Metro) The 2020 fall foliage map. (Jen Carlson for Gothamist) At the crossroads of art and commerce is the controversy at the Whitney, who canceled an exhibition of arresting responses to the pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests after artists of color criticized the Whitney for acquiring their work without consent and through discount sales. (Zachary Small for NY Times) A look at how Governors Island could become a climate center for the city. (Michael Kimmelman for NY Times) The mayor, possibly unaware that he is the mayor, made public comments about how outdoor dining "should become permanent." Will he walk the walk or just talk the talk? (Luke Fortney for Eater) The pandemic tax? City Council voted in favor of giving restaurants the option to add a 10% charge to bills as an economic recovery support measure. The mayor supports the bill and once he signs it, it will be in effect immediately until indoor dining returns to full capacity. I guess the city's response to us asking it to help restaurants is "help them yourself." (Erika Adams for Eater)

If the last few years have seen the food world grapple with systemic issues like pay disparities, culinary credit, tipping, and harassment from either big-time chefs or everyday customers, the poorly regulated return of indoor dining — during a deadly pandemic, no less — feels like a middle finger to hospitality workers.

-Ryan Sutton, chief food critic for Eater, NYC’s Indoor Dining Comeback Fails Restaurant Workers. Here’s Why. for Eater

The city's first store dedicated to Covid-19 essentials opened in Herald Square. (Dana Schulz for 6sqft) A new report from Comptroller Scott Stringer's office found that 57 percent of dogs tested at city-run shelters developed respiratory disease during their stays, among other troubling findings. (Matt Troutman for Patch) The NYPD is working with the Trump administration to blame violent crime on bail reform by bringing federal charges instead of local charges against people suspected of involvement in shootings. The NYPD's own data shows a lack of a link between bail reform and the increase in violent crime, but the truth has never stopped the NYPD of Trump administration before. (Christopher Robbins for Gothamist) The mayor announced he will force his staff to take an unpaid one-week furlough between October 2020 and March 2021 to save money. It will save under a million dollars. The mayor is currently looking for a billion dollars of savings or will lay off 22,000 city employees. (Dana Rubenstein for NY Times) Wanna buy a T. rex skeleton? Stan, the T. rex, is up for auction on October 6 at Christie's. (Zachary Smalls for NY Times) Photos: Sunnyside has become the home of fairies. No, really. (Allie Griffin for Sunnyside Post) Where to eat outside in Prospect Heights. (Nikko Duren for The Infatuation) A love letter to the 1993 Super Mario Bros movie, a movie about two brothers from Brooklyn. (Charles Pulliam-Moore for Gizmodo) Indoor pools will be able to open on September 30 at 33% capacity. (Collier Sutter for Time Out) Apartment Porn: A $16.5 million Upper East Side townhouse with a miniature pool and a roof garden. (Dana Schulz for 6sqft) More than 170 New York City transit workers have been harassed or assaulted for asking passengers to wear masks. (Christina Goldbaum for NY Times) 38 glorious Chinese restaurants open right now. (Robert Sietsema for Eater) It's not uncommon to see people sitting outside libraries in an attempt to use the free wifi. (Reuven Blau for The City) Columbia's marching band disbanded itself for “a history riddled with offensive behavior.” (Corey Kilgannon for NY Times) Bankruptcy will not stop New York Sports Clubs from charging you your monthly fee. The state attorney general's office is investigating. (Caroline Lewis for Gothamist) Trick or treating is nor canceled this year, ensuring the scariest Halloween of all time. (Ben Yakas for Gothamist) There will be no snow days at all this year, as classes will move to remote learning in case of snow. (Amy Zimmer for Chalkbeat) Dante in Greenwich Village, voted world's best bar by Time Out) is now offering canned cocktails. (Bao Ong for Time Out) In praise of Gloria's Caribbean, a Crown Heights mainstay. (Scott Lynch for Gothamist) Brooklyn's real estate market has been hotter than Manhattan's, pre- and post-pandemic. (Kael Goodman for amNewYork Metro) Time Out looks back to the 10 things we miss the most about the Before Times in NYC. (Shaye Weaver for Time Out) Photos: “Doggy Bags” brings giant dog sculptures to the Garment District. (Michelle Young for Untapped New York) How to pack an emergency bag. Just in case. (A. C. Shilton for NY Times) NYC's most anticipated restaurants openings of fall 2020. (Tanay Warerkar for Eater)