The Briefly for September 8, 2020 – The "The Suburban Exodus That Never Was" Tuesday Edition

Today - Low: 69˚ High: 82˚

Clear throughout the day.

The Board of Elections in the city launched an Absentee Ballot Tracking system to confirm they received your request, mailed your ballot, accepted your ballot, and how to fix it if they didn't accept it. (David Cruz for Gothamist) How helpful is New York's Covid-19 infection rate? It's the metric we're using for keeping public schools open and arguing that we're ready for indoor restaurants to open. It's a self-selecting number and experts are pointing out that it's artificially low in New York. (Fred Mogul for Gothamist) A Bay Ridge couple was escorted off an NYC Ferry in handcuffs and given a summons for their refusal to wear masks. They also claimed they were being targeted because they were white. (Jake Offenhartz for Gothamist) Normally getting hit with a "here come the stink bugs" headline is fine, but in 2020? Give me a break. (Adam Nichols, Reported by Beth Dalby for Patch) The mass migration to the suburbs isn't happening. (Jeff Andrews for Curbed) A quiet Trump administration rule change that could pull FEMA Covid-19 disinfection funding for the city’s subways and schools. (Matt Troutman for Patch) City Comptroller Scott Stringer put forward a proposal to add 75 miles of bike lanes around 50 schools. (Dave Colon for Streetsblog) The state is launching a dashboard to track Covid-19 cases in public schools. It'll be available on September 9. (Jen Chung for Gothamist) 21 schools in the city will not reopen due to problems with ventilation systems, switching to remote-only instruction. (Christina Veiga for Chalkbeat) 798 of the city's 1,600 public schools have been approved for outdoor learning this fall. Schools can still apply, so expect that number to increase. (Sophia Chang for Gothamist) Apartment Porn: Make your way downtown and Vanessa Carlton's Soho loft can be yours for a cool $15,500 a month. (Devin Gannon for 6sqft) Often you'll see headlines about high-end restaurants or restaurants with chefs with a pedigree, but let's celebrate the more normal. A 99 cent Pizza and hot dog joint opened up on Ave A. (EV Grieve) Video: Héctor Zamora discusses "Lattice Detour," his exhibition on the roof of The Met. (Matt Coneybeare for Viewing NYC) Where to eat and drink with your dog. (Hannah Albertine, Bryan Kim, & Matt Tervooren for The Infatuation) The city missed its own August 31 deadline for the final report in the investigation into the summer's protests. The Civilian Complaint Review Board received 750 complaints from 250 incidents. What is the repercussion for missing the deadline? There are no repercussions. (Ethan Geringer-Sameth for Gotham Gazette) A look at the Black Surfing Association, who organized their fifth paddle out to protest police violence against Black people. (Brigid Bergin for Gothamist) J'Ouvert this year was marked with an eerily quiet Brooklyn with a heavy police presence with occasional small gatherings. (Jake Offenhartz for Gothamist) The city's recent uptick in shooting violence was felt at an unofficial J'Ouvert celebration, with five people being shot, including a six-year-old boy. (Alan Feuer for NY Times) Photos: It's a tough bird to find, but a sora was spotted in Bryant Park over the weekend. (D. Bruce Yolton for Urban Hawks) How Astoria's Niko’s Souvlaki persevered through the pandemic. (Loulou Chryssides for Give Me Astoria) Buglisi Dance Theatre and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts' Table of Silence Project 9/11 performance ritual for peace will be streamed online. (Emily Davenport for amNewYork Metro) It looks like the Mets may have a new owner in Steve Cohen for about $2.35 billion. He'll need to get 23 team owners to approve the purchase of 80% of the team. (Joe Pantorno for amNewYork Metro) The shooting death of Henryk Siwiak, killed on 9/11/2001, is the last unsolved murder of 9/11. (Ephemeral New York) Governor Cuomo continues to fight against taxing the ultrarich. (Luis Ferré-Sadurní and Jesse McKinley for NY Times) Photos and Video: The NYC Deep Playa Night Ride, New York's one-night answer to Burning Man, but on bikes and without the tech executives. (EV Grieve) No, it's not you, there are more mosquitoes this year than in years past. (Amy Pearl for Gothamist)

"Contingent and student workers have been disproportionately burdened by the NYU administration's choices, and plans for Fall 2020 reproduce this inequity. High-level administrators and tenured faculty have been allowed to work remotely, while contingent faculty and workers must weigh health concerns against job security. This approach will compound existing inequalities, and will not keep us safe. We must make different choices."

NYU: Keep Our Campus Safe petition

The Brooklyn Flea is bringing the open-air Chelsea Flea Market back on Saturdays and Sundays. (Collier Sutter for Time Out) The mayor won't make a decision about anything unless he's forced to, including his own pet project, the BQX. Instead of just saying "this thing ain't happening," he's punted the entire project to the next mayor. (Allie Griffin for Queens Post) New York Attorney General Letitia James suspended the collection of medical and student debt that has been specifically referred to her office for collection for an additional 30 days. (Norwood News) How to break a lease in NYC. (Jordi Lippe-McGraw for StreetEasy) The de Blasio administration withdrew its support for the YourLIC Coalition, the group of developers who were going to develop a 28-acre area on the Long Island City waterfront, the cursed spot o the Amazon HQ 2 development. (Christian Murray for LIC Post) The story of Jess La Bombera, aka Jessica A. Krug, the white woman from Kansas City pretending to be Afro Latina and from the Bronx. (Ed García Conde for Welcome2TheBronx) The most beautiful post offices in NYC. (Noah Sheidlower for Untapped New York) The best new pizza in Brooklyn. (Hannah Albertine, Nikko Duren, & Bryan Kim for The Infatuation) Thanks to reader Lizzy for today's featured photo!