Help us Jalen Brunson, you're our only hope

🤖The Robots are coming!

April 05, 2024

😎Sunny days this weekend are ahead after a week of heavy rain. The Yanks are still on fire at 6-1, while the only thing preventing the Mets from an even worse start is the rain. Powerball is over $1.2 billion, and the big event next week is the solar eclipse. Cherry Hill in Central Park is in full bloom and will likely peak sometime next week. Sad news for Spike Lee as Julius Randle's season is over.

The News
City Headlines

👮🏻Another week has passed with high-level incidents making headlines. Despite appearances, crime rates are lower in New York. Subway crime in March 2024 decreased by 23% compared to March 2023. Total crime in the first quarter also decreased but by only 1.1%. Arrests in the subway system have risen by almost 53% compared to last year.

The most significant increase was in fare evasion arrests, which rose almost 80%. This surge can be attributed to “Operation Fare Play,” a program that focuses on fare evasion. With the recent surge of officers into the system, it is hoped that the downward trend in crime will continue in the coming months.

“There cannot be a sense of lawlessness in the subway system, and it begins at the turnstiles,”

Police Commissioner Edward A. Caban

📄New York is ramping up hiring efforts now that the hiring freeze has been lifted. According to a PIX11 report, there are at least 3,400 essential positions that the city needs to fill. The main issue mirrors the frustration of renewing your license at the DMV—it all just seems to take forever. The city is working on streamlining the process, but navigating their website to find a job can be a confusing experience.

“We’re hiring again, we did hiring halls, we’re going to do more. We look forward to bringing in New Yorkers”

Mayor Eric Adams

😡New Jersey is suing New York in an attempt to halt the implementation of congestion pricing. Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey argues that this plan will lead to increased pollution in the Garden State and impose significant fees on New Jersey residents traveling into the city.

With over 400,000 New Jersey residents commuting into New York City, Governor Murphy believes that they will bear the brunt of the financial burden imposed by this plan. However, New York may argue that it is working as intended.

"You are not eliminating pollution, you are just displacing it from Manhattan to New Jersey, and you're charging our commuters an exorbitant fee on top of that."

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy

Quick Takes

🎶Taylor Swift is a billionaire! The talented songstress, NFL trendsetter, and TriBeCa resident made the annual Forbes Billionaires List for the first time.

⛹🏽Sad news for Knicks fans. It was a promising season until injuries to two of their stars derailed their post-season dreams. OG Anunoby will still likely return but Julius Randle's season is over. The All-Star center will undergo right shoulder surgery and will miss the playoffs. The Knicks still have superstar Jalen Brunson to lead them but he can't do it alone.

🍎Apple recently abandoned its car project and is exploring ways to sell home robots. Amazon and Sony have already entered the home robot space and seem to have caught Apple's eye. It's much easier to sell a robot every few years than to sell a six-figure car.

📦Have you noticed Amazon has been shipping products in its original packaging without one of its boxes? The e-commerce giant has been testing ways to reduce costs and save the environment. Your doorman now knows exactly what you've been shopping for!

🌳The Great Lawn in Central Park will reopen this Saturday after being closed earlier than usual last year due to damage caused during the Global Citizen Festival. Parts of the lawn had to be reseeded after being damaged from too much traffic. The festival's board of directors covered all repair costs. This year's Global Citizen Festival is scheduled for September 28.

Things to do

Let’s Eat

Five eateries and chefs in the city have qualified as nominees for the 2024 James Beard Awards. The prestigious award is considered one of the highest honors in culinary arts. Here are the chefs and their restaurants under consideration for the award:

The Escape
New Flights

🐶You can now bring your furry buddy with you on your next weekend getaway. American Airlines will not count your pet as a carry-on and you’ll still be allowed a carry-on bag in addition to your best friend. You'll still have to pay the $150 pet fee, and the bag still has to fit under the seat. It's still great news for pet owners as other airlines will count them as a carry-on item, limiting your options.

🧳JetBlue is going the opposite way and making it more expensive for your summer vacation plans. It's introducing variable baggage fees depending on when you are traveling. They now have peak and off-peak baggage fees for checked bags. Peak bag fees can be up to $70 so choose your airline carefully this summer.

The Deals

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