How hard is it to get a 3-K seat in your ZIP code? Check this map.

Plus: Birth control now available in New York without prescription [View this email in a browser.]( Gothamist relies on your support to make local news available to all. Not yet a member? [Consider donating and join today.]( [How hard is it to get a 3-K seat in your NYC ZIP code? Check this map.]( [first image]( [Today's newsletter is curated by James Ramsay]( Weather: ⛅ Sunny this morning, then cloudy later, with rain possible and highs in the mid 50s. It's Wednesday in New York City, where demand for free preschool seats for 3-year-olds exceeds supply in nearly half of the ZIP codes across the five boroughs. But data obtained by Gothamist shows that while there's fierce competition for seats in certain parts of the city, other neighborhoods display an apparent lack of awareness or interest in the free childcare program. [Here's the situation in each ZIP code](. And here's what else is happening: - New York pharmacists can now dispense birth control [without a prescription]( according to an order signed by the state’s health commissioner on Tuesday. - New York City Comptroller Brad Lander is arguing that providing a lawyer for all migrants and asylum-seekers who want work permits would ultimately result in [billions of dollars in tax revenue]( over the next 30 years. - Want to snag an appointment for a coveted IDNYC card? Experts say the trick is to [rush to sign up within minutes after slots are released]( every Friday afternoon. - The FDNY said two workers were seriously injured yesterday after [scaffolding collapsed]( outside a building in Bed-Stuy. - Mount Sinai and UnitedHealthcare said they've [reached an agreement on a new contract]( after a monthslong dispute that disrupted coverage for thousands of patients. - New York City transportation officials are launching a multilingual e-bike public safety campaign in response to a soaring number of [deadly crashes on the bikes](. - Prominent publishers sent a letter to the city's Department of Education expressing alarm after books featuring diverse characters were [discarded with the trash]( at a Staten Island elementary school. - All these indictments for New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez are [making things uncomfortable for his kids]( MSNBC host Alicia Menendez and first-term Congressman Rob Menendez. - The city's law department has decided to represent Mayor Eric Adams against a civil sexual assault lawsuit. Here's why he's [not being forced to hire — and pay for — a private lawyer](. - A recently-announced $117 million federal grant to build a park over abandoned Long Island Rail Road tracks in central Queens came as bad news to locals who say [what they really need is a new transit line](. - A Queens man who charged at Black Lives Matter protesters back in 2020 wearing an Edward Scissorhands-looking glove — and then tried running them over with his car — has been [sentenced to 14 years in prison](. - Manhattan has [the worst cell service]( of all five boroughs. - Congrats to the NYPD runners on winning the Commissioner’s Cup contest-within-the-contest [at the NYC Half Marathon](. (Also, shout out to the [NYPD dance team]( - [Young people are becoming less happy]( than older people, according to the 2024 World Happiness Report. - "The Neverending Story" is getting adapted into [a new film series](. - The Wagner men's basketball team beat Howard in a First Four thriller last night, [securing their ticket to Round One of the NCAA tournament](. - Have some time for a game? [Play]( our mini local news crossword. - Sign up for reminders when we publish new games [here](. [“A book should never be thrown out in the first place. If we can determine if that was some responsibility of any of our folks who work for us … then that will be dealt with.”]( - Schools Chancellor David Banks on the books featuring diverse characters that [WERE TRASHED AT A STATEN ISLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL]( More from Gothamist [second image]( [Top state court rules NYC property tax system may violate federal and state housing laws]( The state Court of Appeals sided with a coalition of homeowners and real estate industry groups who sued the city, claiming the property tax system sets far higher rates on rental buildings and small homes in lower-income neighborhoods than on condos and homes in wealthier areas. [With audit, Gov. Hochul hopes for more legal weed shops in NY and faster rollout]( Gov. Kathy Hochul is ordering a full audit of the state’s Office of Cannabis Management after saying she’s "fed up" with the slow pace of the legal market’s rollout. [We Rely On Your Support]( [MTA will spend $100M to revitalize 2 grimy, historic NYC subway stations]( The MTA is planning “historically sensitive” repairs at the Chambers Street station near City Hall and the 190th Street station in Washington Heights. [Too late to change ballots NJ's political bosses use to sway elections? Judge pushes back.]( A federal judge questioned the claim that New Jersey’s county clerks don’t have time to reprint ballots before this year’s June primary elections. He's considering a case that could rob the state’s political machines of a tool that researchers say can decide an election before a single vote is cast. [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Twitter]( [New York Public Radio] [WNYC]( | [WQXR]( | [NJPR]( | [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( | [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. 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