The city has been slow on answering food assistance application, a lawsuit claims.
No more WiFi on city buses.
Taxpayers might pay former Gov. Cuomo’s legal bills.
But first, today’s weather:
Mostly cloudy. High: 52 Low: 33.
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Here are the top five stories in New York City today:
A new lawsuit alleges that New York City has left more than 50 percent of applicants to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits unanswered for over a month, which would violate federal law, and potentially putting thousands of New Yorkers at risk for food insecurity. Almost two million New Yorkers receive SNAP benefits. Meanwhile, the city agency overseeing the program has a 20 percent vacancy rate, according to a December report. (Gothamist)
Protestors gathered in Times Square and Washington Square Park over the weekend after the release of body camera footage showing 29-year-old Tyre Nichols being beaten to death at the hands of five Memphis police officers. (AMNY)
The MTA has stopped offering free WiFi on New York City’s buses, citing a low level of interest. Just two percent of daily riders used it, the agency said, adding the change would save over $3 million annually. (Gothamist)
A judge has ruled that New York State should pay for former Governor Andrew Cuomo’s legal fees in a lawsuit brought by a state trooper alleging he sexually harassed her. Cuomo had previously sued Attorney General Letitia James, arguing that denying him “public assistance” was in violation of state law, because the allegations are from when “he was acting within the scope of his employment or duties.” (AMNY)
The Parks Department has plans to convert a newsstand in The Bronx into a rest stop for delivery workers. There’s only one problem–the newsstand is still occupied by a local business, despite Mayor Eric Adams’ previous statements that the new stops would only be placed in vacant or abandoned spaces. (New York Daily News)
New York City pic of the day:
Remember to submit a photo from your neighborhood to newyorkcity@patch.com for a chance to be featured! We love skylines, bodega cats, coffee shops, streetscapes, parks and everything else that makes this city great. Please include your full name and an optional description.
“This was taken on the way to Brooklyn the Friday morning before Christmas just after the pouring rain had stopped. Everything was grey except for the lights on the Brooklyn Bridge.” Photo courtesy of Ellen Lauter.
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Today in New York City:
Upper East Side Coffee Chat for New Yorkers 55+ (10 a.m.)
Invited To Life Panel & Conversation – The Strand (7 p.m.)
Geeks Who Drink Trivia Night at Treadwell Park Upper East Side (7 p.m.)
Geeks Who Drink Trivia Night at House of Wax @Alamo Drafthouse Brooklyn (8 p.m.)
Today is a professional development day for students in public high schools and 6-12 schools (all day)
From my notebook:
In Manhattan’s Chinatown, one school has transformed its playground into a virtual “sponge” for absorbing rainwater. Across the city, experts see the potential of school playgrounds to help absorb precipitation. (City Limits)
Many of New York City’s hundreds of thousands of unionized workers are working under contracts that lapsed or expired over the past several years, and some rank-and-file members are becoming frustrated. (THE CITY)
Grand Central has a new Long Island Railroad station–but it’s fifteen stories underground and it took a reporter over 11 minutes to reach a subway platform from it. (Gothamist)
New York City is set to beat a fifty-year record today for the longest time without measurable snow, according to meteorologists. It was set in 1973. (Subscription/The New York Times)
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