Good morning and welcome to December! Did you get blown away yesterday? Did your umbrella turn inside out? Today still has a bit of wind (which will mean that it feels below freezing) but the sun in the sky will make for a cheerful start to the month.
In a significant reversal of their long-criticized policy, the FDA has released newly drafted guidelines that would allow gay and bisexual men in monogamous relationships to donate blood — though equality advocates like New York State Senator Brad Hoylman say there is still much progress to be made in treating gay donors fairly. Read more…
SPONSORED POST
HYHK and Colored Colors are bringing back the holiday market to Bella Abzug Park with 50 different artists, makers, and small businesses for you to check out. Santa will be there on Saturday from 2:30pm-5:30pm — plus free hot chocolate and cookies — and tree lighting at 5pm Saturday. DJ both days. It’s free and open to the public. More details here…
As New Yorkers check their holiday gift lists, many wonder how to manage one particularly niche category: building staff tips. Widely regarded as an important show of appreciation for the hard work of those who keep the city’s residences running, there is little one-fits-all guidance for who and how much to tip building staff. Read more…
What we’ve been reading
Since March, the city cleared 3,198 homeless encampments — but just 115 people agreed to enter the shelter system. (Gothamist)
MTA would have to increase the cost of a subway or bus trip by 79 cents to recoup pre-pandemic revenue levels. (New York Post)
Random stuff given to New York Mayors is going under the hammer. (Artnet)
Weed shops have proliferated since the state legalized cannabis last year, thriving in the confusion over their legality and a lack of enforcement. (New York Times)
What it’s like to bike in Paris compared to NYC. (Streetfilms)
Freeze Frame
Thanks to Gary Hershorn for this fabulous photo of the Rockefeller Christmas tree being lit last night. If you want to see the countdown, multi-tasker Gary managed to shoot a lovely video too.
Happy birthday to Lenny Shields.
