It will apparently be a day of some unrest nationwide today, per NPR, but closer to home, we'll be keeping our eyes on Gov. Hochul and Mayor Adams while we take a day off to honor all of America's past presidents.
Speaking of politics, let's start with this Daily News op-ed from a former Adams administration insider who is calling on the governor to remove him from office, a position seconded by Reinvent Albany. (Here's how she would do it, per Gothamist.)
Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said it's time for the mayor to quit, as the Post reported, but, clearly, he doesn't want to, as readers of the Times and amNY learned.
So that's where we are today. Until we hear more, here is the rest of the news:
- Even the Staten Island Advance is seeing the benefit of congestion pricing.
- Former FDNY supervising fire marshal John Orlando had a thoughtful op-ed in the Daily News arguing that lithium-ion-battery-powered devices should be banned on the subway. But as more and more batteries on the streets are certified (thanks to city law), such as ban becomes less and less relevant.
- The Capt. Renault-esque New York Post is shocked — shocked! — that outdoor dining will return — relax, Rupert, in a much-truncated form — on April 1.
- You've heard of crime in the subway, but how about some crime of the subway! (Gothamist)
- And speaking of crime, don't believe the EZ-Pass texts you're probably getting. (NY Post)
- The MTA's East New York bus depot problems continue. (NYDN)
- Elon Musk's politics have made his electric car brand toxic to its main customer base. (Wired)
- If you sat through the wan (and almost entirely apolitical) "Saturday Night Live" 50th anniversary special on Sunday, you were treated to John Mulaney's musical sendup of the history of New York City's problems that more or less concluded that e-bikes were among the worst. Lorne, I think we speak for every Streetsblog reader when I say, "Now do cars!" (Variety)
- That said, the sketch did end on a great note (unless you are a relative of former President Gerald Ford):
- Finally, the Post's overhyping of winter weather never ceases to amazing me. The hyperbolic tabloid ran a Sunday story with this headline, "New York to be pummeled by ‘snowiest’ storm of the season as polar vortex threatens -50 degree winds," even though the story flatly admitted there might not be a story here: "While it’s too soon to tell exactly how many inches of powder will dust the Big Apple and surrounding suburbs ... there is a chance this storm will top this season’s current highest snowfall of about three inches." [Emphasis ours.] If it snows — the key word is "if" — it'll be Thursday.
