Hello and welcome to this week's edition of the NYC Weekly Roundup.
It's Saturday, June 5, and here's what you need to know.
This week in news
City-wide news:
New Yorkers unable to pay rent during the pandemic can now apply for assistance through portal
New Yorkers who were unable to pay their rent during the COVID-19 pandemic are now able to apply for financial assistance through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program. The program included in the 2021 state budget has about $2.3 billion in funding from the most recent federal stimulus. All New York residents can apply, regardless of immigration status.
In other news:
- The MTA Is breached by hackers in April as cyberattacks surge
- 7 MTA track inspectors defaulted on inspections, falsified reports
- NYC senior centers will reopen this month with in person activities, says de Blasio
- Memorial Day ceremony held at Intrepid Museum
- New York lifts state curfew on indoor dining at restaurants and bars
- Experts say Humpback whales can be heard singing in waters off New York City
- New York officials push for new gun control bill
In Brooklyn:
Mayoral candidate Eric Adams proposes police randomly search the bags of bus commuters
Eric Adams, Democratic mayoral candidate, Brooklyn borough president and retired cop, is proposing police search bus passengers for guns. Adams, who has positioned himself as a law-and-order candidate, proposed police search the bags of passengers coming from upstate to prevent guns from entering the city. Adams later walked back his comments after facing criticism from opponents.
In other news:
- NYPD arrest man suspected of luring children into apartment buildings with his dogs in Brooklyn
- Lottery opens for 44 affordable apartments in Bed-Stuy, starting at $1,041/month
- What to know about every candidate in every City Council race in Brooklyn
- Who's running for City Council in Brooklyn: District 48
- Who's running for City Council in Brooklyn: District 47
- Who's running for City Council in Brooklyn: District 46
- Brooklyn rapper Supa Gates succumbs to gunshot wounds
- Brooklyn delivery worker falls off scooter and is killed by car
- COVID-19 memorial coming to Green-Wood Cemetery in June
- The Art of Brooklyn Film Festival is returning to in-person screens after a year of remote viewings due to the pandemic
- Woman charged for allegedly orchestrating a $1.3 million Ponzi scheme in Brooklyn
In Manhattan:
Alamo Drafthouse is opening a new location in Manhattan
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is remerging from its bankruptcy as it plans to open five new locations in the U.S. — two of which will be in New York City. One will be on Staten Island and the other will be in Manhattan's Financial District, joining the existing theater in downtown Brooklyn.
In other news:
- Upper West Side community reopens newly renovated basketball court, Commissioner Dermot Shea in attendance
- E-bike rider trails NYPD van, threatens to kill traffic agents
- Manhattan man accused in skate park stabbing faces murder charges
- NYC's Black Wall Street Gallery vandalized on 100th anniversary of Tulsa massacre
- Subway rider in critical condition after slashing attack at Harlem stop
- 64-year-old-man slashed in face at Manhattan subway station
- Washington Square Park will close earlier from Friday through Sunday to curb late-night parties and disturbance
- Homeless shelter project on Billionaire's Row will move forward after state court rejects 'overreaching' lawsuit
- TikTok video shows mouse chewing on deli meat at Manhattan Whole Foods
In the Bronx:
Celia Cruz honored with street co-naming ceremony in Kingsbridge Heights
Latin music icon Celia Cruz was honored in the Bronx on Wednesday after a street was co-named in her memory. The "Queen of Salsa" now has two streets that honor her in the borough, the first being found along Fordham Road.
In other news:
- Dispute over parking spot lands Bronx man in hospital, NYPD searching for attackers
- 5-year-old struck by dirt bike at Macombs Dam Park, suspect at large
- NYPD seeking 16-year-old suspected of shooting 80-year-old veteran in the Bronx
- De Blasio announces COVID-19 vaccinations coming to NYC schools on Friday, program starting in the Bronx
- Missing 7-year-old girl who ran away from local hospital in the Bronx found safe, NYPD reports
- Police respond to call regarding woman found dead on Jerome Avenue
- MTA bus driver assaulted in the Bronx, suspect at large
- New vaccination site opens in Parkchester, walk-ins accepted
- NYC FC, BronxWorks establish multi-year partnership to provide opportunities for Bronx minority youth
In Queens:
Woman killed in notoriously dangerous Queens intersection
A 33-year-old man driving a gray SUV ran over and killed a 39-year-old woman using a crosswalk in Elmhurst Friday. The intersection of 43rd Avenue and 91st Place is notoriously dangerous, a woman who works at a nearby pharmacy said. “Always,” she said. “The last one was about six months ago.”
In other news:
- New York State Police investigating anti-Semitic attack on Queens Vietnam War memorial
- Queens grocery worker's arm mangled by meat grinder
- Queens Guyanese community celebrates unveiling of Little Guyana Avenue in Richmond Hill
- Police apprehend man accused of vandalizing cars across Astoria for months
- NYPD searching for man suspected of three counts of rape in Springfield Gardens
Updates from the mayoral race:
Eight candidates for the Democratic nomination for the mayoral race squared off in an in-person debate Wednesday night, the second so far and the first in person. Violent crimes and education took center stage, and the candidates didn't hold back as they tried to convince the many New Yorkers just tuning in that they, and not their opponents, are the person for the top job.
But we know what you're wondering: Who won?
That's hard to say but if we had to pick one, we would say Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams for effectively handling a lot of the heat thrown his way, giving it as good as he got it and coming out unscathed, if not stronger.
City Comptroller Scott Stringer also had a strong showing and he needed it to jumpstart his flagging campaign after it was derailed by sexual harassment allegations made against him in April.
Rounding out our top three, we also respected former City Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia for, you know, actually answering questions with actual plans that her experience suggests she could successfully execute as mayor.
Go deeper on the candidates' performances here with The New York Times, including ratings for the rest of the candidates: Maya Wiley, Andrew Yang, Dianne Morales and Shaun Donovan. For a more in-depth look at the actual issues, read here and watch the full debate.
COVID-19 updates
According to the state's coronavirus vaccine tracker, as of Friday at 11 a.m., here are the vax facts for New York City:
New York County
- 909,974 People with completed Vaccine Series
- 1,046,736 People with at least one Vaccine Dose
- 64.3% of Population with at least one Vaccine Dose
- 72.7% of 18+ Population with at least one Vaccine Dose
- 1,628,701 Total County Population
Kings County
- 1,001,352 People with completed Vaccine Series
- 1,193,574 People with at least one Vaccine Dose
- 46.2% of Population with at least one Vaccine Dose
- 58.1% of 18+ Population with at least one Vaccine Dose
- 2,582,830 Total County Population
Bronx County
- 511,742 People with completed Vaccine Series
- 618,077 People with at least one Vaccine Dose
- 43.2% of Population with at least one Vaccine Dose
- 55.6% of 18+ Population with at least one Vaccine Dose
- 1,432,132 Total County Population
Queens County
- 1,114,764 People with completed Vaccine Series
- 1,333,900 People with at least one Vaccine Dose
- 58.5% of Population with at least one Vaccine Dose
- 70.9% of 18+ Population with at least one Vaccine Dose
- 2,278,906 Total County Population
Richmond County
- 201,157 People with completed Vaccine Series
- 233,518 People with at least one Vaccine Dose
- 49.0% of Population with at least one Vaccine Dose
- 60.9% of 18+ Population with at least one Vaccine Dose
- 476,179 Total County Population
Follow the NewsBreak New York City coronavirus feed here for up-to-the-minute COVID-19 news and follow the NewsBreak New York City vaccines feed here for the latest on vaccines. For the most important COVID-19 stories, follow the COVID-19 Updates account.
Weekend events:
- Boat Sip and Paint: Head to 3260 Flatbush Ave in Brooklyn on Saturday at 1 p.m. for a painting class on a docked boat. Supplies will be provided alongside two complimentary glasses of wine.
- Queens Drive-In: Gravity + Shorts (Nose Hair & Distemper): Head to the Queens Drive-In on Saturday at 7:30 p.m., when doors open, to see two short films and "Gravity," the sci-fi thriller starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. One ticket admits one car with up to five people, and tickets start at $35.
- Jazz in the Garden: Catch some live jazz in the Green Gems Garden at 147 Fountain Ave in Brooklyn on Sunday. Doors open at 2 p.m. and the first show starts at 3:30 p.m. Dinner is available for purchase and the organizers suggest a $20 donation for entry.
- Anubis Queens Pride: Start celebrating Pride month Sunday with the Anubis Queens Pride concert. The dance party starts at 4 p.m. and runs until 1 a.m. at Queens Palace Hall at 3711 57 Street. The first tier of tickets is already sold out, but the second tier tickets start at $95. A limited supply of tickets will available at the door, cash only.
Bookmark this link here to follow events happening all over the city.
This week in history:
June 4, 1917: The very first Pulitzer Prizes were awarded on this date over a hundred years ago, including the first Pulitzer for biography, the first Pulitzer for history and the first Pulitzer for journalism.
According to the Pulitzer Prize website, Herbert B. Swope of the New York World, now defunct, won the first reporting prize for his articles on World War I-era Germany, which appeared Oct. 10, Oct. 15 and from Nov. 4 to Nov. 22, 1916.
He had previously gone to Germany in 1914 to report, ultimately setting up the significant contrast in the 1916 writing that would win him the first-ever reporting prize.
Read one of the articles from the "Inside the German Empire" series in its entirety here.
Here's an excerpt from Swope capturing the brutal reality of the war:
The highlight one carries away from the front in the west is that it is more than a battle-field of physical forces. It is a fight of spirit, not how many dead can be counted, but how many of the living can be disheartened.
Upcoming weather:
Saturday, June 5:
- High: 80°
- Low: 71°
- Mostly sunny
- Rain: 6%
- Wind: WSW 10 mph
Sunday, June 6:
- High: 91°
- Low: 71°
- Sunny
- Rain: 3%
- Wind: WSW 8 mph
Monday, June 7:
- High: 88°
- Low: 72°
- Partly cloudy
- Rain: 4%
- Wind: SSW 9 mph
Tuesday, June 8:
- High: 90°
- Low: 72°
- Partly cloudy
- Rain: 18%
- Wind: SW 6 mph
Wednesday, June 9:
- High: 87°
- Low: 67°
- Partly cloudy
- Rain: 18%
- Wind: W 7 mph
Thursday, June 10:
- High: 83°
- Low: 67°
- Partly cloudy
- Rain: 24%
- Wind: SW 8 mph
Friday, June 11:
- High: 82°
- Low: 67°
- Isolated thunderstorms
- Rain: 33%
- Wind: SW 9 mph
Editor's note: This roundup was adapted from the NewsBreak New York City Updates newsletter. Subscribe here to receive the newsletter every Friday in your inbox.