NYC prepares for day of large protests, high security alerts as Gaza war escalates

Plus: The IDF send-off at JFK Terminal 4 [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.]( [NYC prepares for day of large protests, high security alerts as Gaza war escalates]( [first image]( [Today's newsletter curated by James Ramsay]( Weather: ⛅ Partly sunny, highs in the mid 60s. It's Friday in New York City, where officials say there's [no credible threat of organized attacks]( — though police remain on "high alert" as the war between Israel and Hamas escalates and a large demonstration is planned in Times Square. Concerns over violence and unrest in the city increased Thursday after a former Hamas leader called for worldwide demonstrations in support of Palestinians. [Protests on local college campuses]( yesterday were largely peaceful, but Mayor Eric Adams said last night that he's ordering [additional NYPD officers]( to patrol schools, houses of worship and certain neighborhoods in anticipation of Friday's protests. Here's what else is happening: - Outrage over migrants housed on Staten Island has [revived talk of the borough seceding]( from New York City. - New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez is facing new charges that he [illegally acted as a foreign agent]( of the Egyptian government. - The allegation builds on [corruption charges filed weeks]( ago by the U.S. attorney's office in New York. - Local food pantry providers say [lines for hot meals and free groceries]( are growing longer, driven by the end of a pandemic-spurred food assistance benefit and skyrocketing food prices. - [Here’s what New York voters need to know]( about the two less-than-sexy statewide proposals on the ballot this year. - Episode 2 of "Imminent Danger," a podcast exploring how a New York doctor with a documented track record of medical negligence can continue practicing, drops tomorrow. Get caught up with last week’s episode [here](. - While the mayor deploys additional NYPD officers ahead of possible protests, the police department's commissioner is [in Qatar for a conference](. - Hundreds of well-wishers with bags of food and toiletries [showed up at JFK's Terminal 4]( this week to send off young Jewish men joining the Israeli Defense Forces. - Hell Gate is [suing the Adams administration]( for repeatedly failing to provide public documents about the mayor's relationship with the owner of Zero Bond, the members-only club Adams frequents. - THE CITY put together [a handy guide for searching property records]( to see who owns what, how much they paid and what kinds of violations are lurking behind a given address. - The producers of the musical Shucked are looking for a new home on broadway for [when the show vacates its current theater]( on Jan. 13. - Space agencies that've seen lunar missions foiled by pesky moon dust have figured out a solution: [That dust can be melted down]( with giant lenses to create moon streets. - "For the uninitiated, Earle is an emerging influencer who uses her podcast to discuss the deeply relative tribulations of her charmed, upper-class college life": Congrats to 22-year-old "Hot Mess" host Alix Earle on [briefly dethroning Joe Rogan]( as Spotify's most popular podcaster. - [Here's the trailer]( for The Curse, a new Nathan Fielder show that looks stressful. “[Staten Islanders should be proud, but I think the idea that we're gonna solve whatever problems we have by leaving the city is really just a terrible approach]( - kevin parks, a 56-year-old staten islander on the borough's talk of secession More from Gothamist [second image]( [Mayor Adams promises 40-mile greenway expansion, mostly along NYC waterfronts]( Adams said that over the next two years the city will conduct extensive outreach in the local communities where the new paths are planned. Officials did not lay out a timeline for when the projects would be finished. [NYC religious, housing and labor leaders push back on Adams’ right-to-shelter changes]( Nearly two dozen groups committed on Thursday to signing an amicus brief opposing Mayor Eric Adams’ request to suspend the city’s right-to-shelter rules for homeless single adults amid the ongoing migrant crisis. [We Rely On Your Support]( [One doctor’s decadeslong trail of injured women, babies began in New York]( Part 1 of "Imminent Danger," a five-part investigative series, examines the track record of one OB-GYN across several states and what it says about how doctors are vetted before being allowed to see patients. [Carriage horse accident in Midtown sparks another animal rights skirmish]( Animal rights activists are once again calling for a ban on horse-drawn carriage rides after a horse on Tuesday broke loose from his handlers, ran down the street and crashed into a parked car. 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