The alligators among us, the spread of cash-assistance programs, ending a 'ban on Black history,' and ride-sharing woes.

We are supported by our readers. Consider donating to fund the local reporting you rely on. [View in Browser]( Monday February 20, 2023 [Donate now]( ADVERTISEMENT [There were other alligators in New York before ‘Godzilla’]( [Alligator found in Prospect Park Lake]( [The 4-foot reptile in Prospect Park was preceded by alligators both real and imagined.]( ADVERTISEMENT More Stories From Today [Alligator]( [Alligator captured in Brooklyn's Prospect Park Lake continues to be evaluated]( ['Godzilla' isn't the first wild reptile found in NYC parks.]( [Eudora Tucker portrait]( [Cash-assistance programs are spreading in New York. The jury's out on what’s a winning formula.]( [Among the unknowns: How much money does it take to create long-term change?]( [American writer of poetry, drama, fiction, essays and music criticism Amiri Baraka, at the Detroit Institute of Arts in 1981.]( [Activist in Newark, NJ: We must end the 'ban on Black history']( [The city was the birthplace of Amiri Baraka, one of several Black scholars and artists whose works were removed from an AP African History studies course description]( [Passengers walking towards the App-based Car service pick up area and parking in LaGuardia Airport, Queens, New York.]( [Union warns: One week to Uber, Lyft strike at LaGuardia Airport]( [Uber sued to block a pay increase drivers expected to get last December]( [Screenshot from FDNY video taken of fire at 88 Shotwell Avenue, Feb. 17, 2023]( [22 firefighters injured in 4-alarm Staten Island house fire, building collapsed]( [The fire was called in just before 1:30 p.m. on Friday.]( [Terminal 1 at JFK is pictured here.]( [JFK’s Terminal 1 still closed due to electrical issues after a ‘small’ fire: Port Authority]( [The issues, which began overnight on Wednesday, triggered dozens of flight delays and cancellations.]( [A general view shows the Rikers Island facility on June 6, 2022.]( [7 staff members suspended after elderly man dies at Rikers]( [Officials are mum about any negligence allegedly committed by nurses and officers.]( [Jersey City Councilmember Amy DeGise appears on the PBS show "Chatbox."]( [Jersey City's Amy DeGise, who admitted hit-and-run, says she didn't realize she'd hit someone]( [DeGise told the PBS show Chatbox she initially thought she hit a "bad bump."]( [A photo of Banksy's "Robot & Barcode"]( [Banksy’s 2013 NYC residency gets revisited at new gallery]( [On Oct. 1, 2013, the elusive street artist known as Banksy put up one of his signature stencil pieces on a random wall on the Lower East Side, setting off a monthlong public art treasure hunt.]( [A profusion of flowers in many hues in a glass conservatory]( [Ogle orchids in the Bronx and more things to do this week in NYC]( [It’s impossible to keep up with everything happening in New York City arts and culture, but here are some recommendations for events you shouldn’t miss during the week ahead.]( [Outside of City Hall, State Sen. Andrew Gounardes and roughly two dozen supporters hold signs.]( [Supporters rally behind increasing tax credits for NY families with kids]( [A state bill would broaden the eligibility for tax credits for some New York's poorest families following the expiration of the pandemic-era expanded federal Child Tax Credit.]( [A large complex of buildings on Randall's Island in New York City.]( [Troubled Wards Island homeless shelter tied to ex-Gov. Cuomo’s sister quietly closes]( [The 200-bed facility closed in December amid the city’s record homelessness crisis.]( [a Huggy Wuggy doll in a gift shop]( [Extra Extra: Meet 'Huggy Wuggy,' the freaky deaky doll taking New York City by storm]( [Because toddlers can't wait to get their hands on this saw-toothed monster, here are your end-of-day links: Small landlord mindset; Black crypto investors disproportionately lost money; Drake and 21 Savage settled with Conde and more.]( ADVERTISEMENT [Support Us]( Follow Gothamist on [Gothamist on Facebook]( [Gothamist on Twitter]( NYPR Network [WNYC]( [Gothamist]( [WNYC Studios]( [NJPR]( [WQXR]( [New Sounds]( Copyright © New York Public Radio, 160 Varick St., New York, NY 10013. All rights reserved. [Terms of Use]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe]( from this list.