The "Daring the Governor to Arrest You" Edition
Free Covid-19 tests, the NYPD is probably lying (again), Manhattan DA stands his ground, raised crosswalks, drinks to warm you up, beer and wine at the movies, and more
Today - Low: 17˚ High: 25˚
Mostly cloudy throughout the day.
This weekend - Low: 24˚ High: 32˚
The latest seven-day positivity rate: 18.95%
74.09% of city residents have received two shots, 83.63% of city residents have received more than one shot. Source: NYC Department of Health.
• If you had trouble ordering free Covid-19 tests from USPS, here's how to fix it. If you haven't ordered your free tests, click here to order them. (Caroline Lewis for Gothamist)
• Two editions ago, I asked if Eric Adams had been paid in Bitcoin yet. Yes, he was paid in Bitcoin. Now, let's be clear that he can’t be paid in actual Bitcoin, but he put the money into his Coinbase wallet. (Matt Troutman for Patch)
• In possibly related news: Advocates are calling for a moratorium on cryptocurrency mining in New York state. (Nick Reisman for NY1)
• A man in a Dodge Caravan threw a net over 50 pigeons on 58th and 10th, tossed them into a car, and drove away. Pigeon nabbing by the dozen or hundred is not unheard of in New York City, where some are taken as part of pigeon hunts in Pennsylvania. If you see something like this and want to report it to the authorities, the appropriate agency to contact is the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. (Wendy Blake for I Love the Upper West Side)
• Interview: The life of Wildlife and Aquatic Technician for the Prospect Park Alliance, Marty Woess, who rescued hundreds of animals in 251 incidents last year. Raccoons in a trash container, a 12-foot albino python, baby swans frozen to the ice? All part of a day's work. (Alex Hamilton for Gothamist)
• "PLEASE ARREST ME SO I CAN DRAG YOUR ASS TO THE SUPREME COURT" is something the owner of the Brooklyn Dumpling Shop automat posted towards Governor Hochul to his business' Instagram account, opposing the state's vaccine mandate before deleting his post. This is your place if you want to buy dumplings from a guest on the Tucker Carlson show. (Erika Adams for Eater)
• Bookmark It: What to do if your K-12 child is exposed to someone with COVID. (Kae Petrin for Chalkbeat)
• For five years, the NYPD told the City Council in quarterly reports that it had replaced hundreds of cops handling clerical duties with less expensive civilian employees over time. In reality, the NYPD can't prove it. (Reuven Blau for The City)
• Despite opposition by far-right screwballs, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg stands behind his memo to not pursue low-level criminal charges and stand committed to reducing pre-trial detention. (Gwynne Hogan for Gothamist)
• It's official: The fountain in Bryant Park has officially frozen over. (Will Gleason for Time Out)
• The state Assembly is set to pass legislation that redefines the state's rape laws to include more forms of non-consensual sexual conduct. This will mark the Assembly's tenth passing of the "Rape is Rape" bill. The original bill was crafted over a decade ago in response to a woman being sodomized at gunpoint by an off-duty NYPD officer who went to prison for sexual assault and not rape. It's an embarrassment that the state can't get its shit together to admit that rape doesn't have to involve vaginal penetration to be rape. The previous nine attempts to pass this bill were during Andrew Cuomo's run as governor. (Nick Reisman for NY1)
• Year-round ferry service to Governors Island will begin on Monday. (Aaron Ginsburg for 6sqft)
• For the first time in Governors Island history, dogs will be allowed on Saturdays from 7 am to 3 pm. (Matt Troutman for Patch)
• Videos: Bill Murray sang "I Feel Pretty" in Washington Square Park on Wednesday. Why? Shhhh. Bill Murray is allowed to do anything he wants. (Ron Dicker for HuffPost)
• Real Estate Lust: At $19.5 million, this is the most expensive and tallest listing in Brooklyn with 4,928 square feet, five beds, four-and-a-half baths, direct elevator access, views of the harbor, in a building with all the fixins, and more. (Shaye Weaver for Time Out)
• If hotel rooms in the city weren't small enough for you already, Hilton has a new micro-hotel on W 24th. The standard room is about 160 square feet, with some of them having bunk beds and others having Murphy beds. (Anthony Pascale for NY1)
• The cardamom bun at La Cabra is the city's latest regularly sold-out pastry. (Ryan Sutton for Eater)
• The MTA had plans for a decade to test platform doors on the subway, which would have prevented the murder of Michelle Go in the Times Square station, but decided to give up on them in 2018. I could list you the excuses they made, but each is complete horseshit. The cost of inaction is human lives, which doesn't show up on the MTA's annual budget. (Jose Martinez for The City)
• A look at how Governor Hochul's Interborough Express will work. (Dave Colon for Streetsblog)
• 80% of the city's traffic injuries happen in crosswalks. The city intends to make 1,000 of the city's crosswalks safer with raised crosswalks and other safety measures. Raised crosswalks are exactly what they sound like, crosswalks that also double as speed bumps. (Caroline Spivack for Curbed)
• What time did you go to bed last night? NYC is the most sleep-deprived city in the world, according to a new study. (Anna Rahmanan for Time Out)
• Lenapehoking is New York's first-ever Lenape-curated exhibition, which features a collection of masterworks by Lenape artists and programs that teach the story of the Lenape community. The exhibition can be found at the Brooklyn Public Library at Greenpoint. (Aaron Ginsburg for 6sqft)
• Cardi B will pay the funeral costs for the 17 victims of the January 9 fire at Twin Parks North West, including costs for victims whose remains will be repatriated to The Gambia. (Gwynne Hogan for Gothamist)
• One of the companies that owns Twin Parks North West is Camber Property Group was co-founded by Rick Gropper. Gropper was a member of Eric Adams's transition team for housing issues. (Greyson Van Ardsdale for Socialist Alternative NYC)
• The New York attorney general’s office late Tuesday told a court that its investigators had uncovered evidence that President Donald Trump’s company used “fraudulent or misleading” asset valuations to get loans and tax benefits. Uh oh. Sounds like someone might be in trouble! (NY1)
• The governor's state budget appears to clear the way for casinos in New York City. (Jon Campbell for Gothamist)
• Five things you didn't know you could get for free at the library. Stern looks from librarians shushing you for making too much noise is not on the list. (Shaye Weaver for Time Out)
• The state liquor authority approved a measure that allows wine and beer to be sold at concession stands in movie theaters. Until now, the only way to have beer or wine at the movies was if the theater had a restaurant license and patrons were seated when brought the drinks. (Anna Rahmanan for Time Out)
• Nine spots worthy of a trip to Kips Bay. Tall order. (Bao Ong for Eater)
• Hey, Ridgewood! You've got a new composting site. (Julia Moro for QNS)
• Real Estate Lust: John Legend and Chrissy Teigen's $18 million pair of penhouses in Nolita, with a floor and a half of a six-floor building with over 6,000 square feet of space, six beds, six-and-a-half baths, a private landscaped roof deck, 12-foot ceilings, gas fireplaces, and more. (Devin Gannon for 6sqft)
• De Blasio no go fo state throne, goes home. (Brooklyn Magazine)
• Seven best sites to visit in the Gateway National Recreation Area. (Gabriel Neves for Untapped New York)
• Nine tips for negotiating your rent when signing a lease in NYC. (Emily Myers for Brick Underground)
• An outbreak of leptospirosis, deadly for dogs, has been connected to the dog run in McCarren Park. Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection caught from puddles or water that carry urine from infected wildlife. (Emma Davey for Greenpointers)
• Video: The Theodore Roosevelt statue was removed from the Museum of Natural History. It is off to the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota. (Mike Mishkin for I Love the Upper West Side)
• Eleven Madison Park's $335 vegan menu will no longer include gratuity for any reservations made beyond February 3. The restaurant claims that shifting to a tipping model will result in higher pay for dining room workers and increased wages for kitchen employees. When the restaurant eliminated tipping in 2016, it raised prices by 30% to accommodate. Prices will not be lowered. (Luke Fortney for Eater)
• Ten unique drinks that will warm you up. (Christine Heiser for Give Me Astoria)
Featured Pet: Alfie!
Thank you so much to reader Maddy for today’s featured photo of Alfie, giving us a small blep!
Thank you so much to the readers who contributed to The Briefly using this Ko-Fi link since the last edition. I’ve got something exciting to announce in Sunday’s newsletter that was driven by your contributions.
Pigeon-napping?!? The horror! (and just remember who told you about Ko-Fi)