The "It Pays To Be The Mayor's Friend, Literally" Edition

Thanksgiving events, police drone usage, a look at why the city is still in control of its jails, the first legal marijuana dispensaries, NYPD sits on its hands after an attack on a gay bar, & more

Today - Low: 40˚ High: 50˚
Clear throughout the day.

Thanks to reader Judith for this photo from the roof of the Whitney! Send your NYC photos to thebriefly@gmail.com to be featured.

Quick note: I’ll be taking Friday off from The Briefly and returning next week on Tuesday.

• A guide to Thanksgiving travel. (Catalina Gonella for Gothamist)

• A longtime friend of Mayor Eric Adams has one of the highest-paid jobs in city government. Lisa White is the city's deputy commissioner of employee relations, making $241,000/year, overseeing the NYPD's health, well-being, and morale. Is anyone surprised by this? (Yoav Gonen for The City)

• The city had about 12,000 vacant civilian jobs as of October 31. To save money, the city won't fill about 4,700 of them, which should save about $350 million. I guess the mayor was running out of friends to pout into city jobs? (Elizabeth Kim for Gothamist)

• "While there is no current evidence that drones operating in New York are armed, many of the drones being deployed by police departments in our state have the capacity to be weaponized, and there is currently no law that prevents police departments from doing so." is not a sentence I love to see in a new report about drone usage by governmental drones in New York state. (ACLU)

• The mayor signed four bills into law that aim to reduce the number of rats in the city. The laws add "rat mitigation zones" and change the time trash can be put by the curb in hopes of changing rat behavior. According to estimates, there are about two million rats in the city. (Matt Troutman for Patch)

• Eighteen deaths ain't enough. Breaking down why the city needs to murder more people in its custody before control of its jails is taken away. (Nick PInto for Hell Gate)

• When it comes to the attacks on VARS, a gay bar in Hell's Kitchen, the NYPD doesn't give two shits. Someone broke the windows three times in the last week, with the NYPD dismissing the suggestion that the attack could be a hate crime. (Jake Offenhartz for Gothamist)

• The NYPD cared enough to arrest Matthew Mahrer and Christopher Brown for making threats against the city's synagogues. NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell praised the "ever-vigilant work of our NYPD women and men." Maybe the commissioner missed the details of the last story. (Mike Mishkin for I Love the Upper West Side)

• A street safety advocate was hit by a driver on their way to a memorial for crash victims. The person was taken to the emergency room with minor injuries. (Clayton Guse for Gothamist)

• If you see a bat on the ground in Central Park, act like the NYPD after getting a report of a hate crime against the LGBTQ community and do nothing. It's normal for bats to be on the ground due to shock from temperature fluctuations. As the day warms up, so will they. (Shaye Weaver for Time Out)

• It's hard to believe that the city's school bus service continues to get worse every year, but it is worse this year. (Jessica Gould for Gothamist)

• A look at the city's first twelve recreational marijuana dispensaries. (Matt Troutman for Patch)

• An analysis of who voted for whom in the gubernatorial race shows that subway riders backed Governor Hochul by wide margins. Now it's time for the governor to do her part. (Gers Kuntzman for Streetsblog)

• On December 4th, 11th, and 18th between noon and 6 pm, Fifth Avenue will be closed to traffic from 49th Street to 57th Street and will have a bit of a winter street fair. (Anna Rahmanan for Time Out)

• Barnes & Noble is returning to the Upper East Side on East 86th Street near Lexington Avenue. (Shaye Weaver for Time Out)

• Where to Go: Ariapita in Flatbush. What to Order: The deep-fried stewed fish. (Caroline Shin for Eater)

• Despite the sea rising to consume us all, New Yorkers are still flocking to waterfront apartments. (Anna Rahmanan for Time Out)

• Ten secrets of the Temple of Dundur at the Met Museum. (Untapped New York)

• Ten uniquely Thanksgiving events in the city. (Untapped New York)

Top Clicked Links in the Last Edition

1. The mysterious origins of the black and white cookie

2. The 15 Best Indian Restaurants in NYC

3. The MTA warns New Yorkers that these will be gridlock traffic days in NYC

Featured City Animals: These Ominous Birds, One of them is Named Carl Goobey

Thanks to reader Michele for sending today’s featured photo. Send in your pet photos! Please! thebriefly@gmail.com