SantaCon spends a lot of its money on Burning Man stuff

Plus: At NYC Hanukkah rally, calls for a Gaza cease-fire [View this email in a browser.]( Our Gift to You! Get this T-shirt when you [donate & help fund]( our non-profit newsroom. [Donate Now]( [SantaCon raises money for charity. They've spent a lot on crypto and Burning Man.]( [first image]( [Today's newsletter curated by James Ramsay]( Weather: ☀️ Sunny, with highs in the upper 40s. SantaCon, which returns to New York City on Saturday, boasts on its website that it has raised "over 1.1 million dollars for charitable causes" like City Harvest. A Gothamist analysis shows that the organization raised $1.4 million through SantaCon programming from late 2014 through the end of 2022. But less than a fifth of that money has gone to registered nonprofits. Meanwhile, more than a third of the organization’s total giving in that period went to groups or individuals who appear connected to Burning Man, the annual week-long festival in Nevada, including organizations devoted to hula hooping, dance parades, free costumes, and more. [Read the full story here](. Here's what else is happening: - Should New Jersey breweries be allowed to host food trucks? Gov. Phil Murphy [has until the end of the year]( to sign a law stopping a food vendor ban and other restrictions from taking effect. - Churches, synagogues and mosques could soon start getting [paid by New York City to host migrants](. - The New York Democratic Party named former Rep. Tom Suozzi as its nominee for the [special election to fill Rep. George Santos' seat](. - Gov. Kathy Hochul said a 28-year-old man was arrested on Thursday, the first night of Hanukkah, after allegedly [firing a gun on the premises of a synagogue]( in Albany. - A 20-year-old Maspeth man has been indicted for allegedly [striking and killing a 3-year-old boy]( in a hit and run last month. - City officials are calling for outgoing New York City jails boss Louis Molina to be investigated after one of his former deputies [said Molina worked to cover up violence]( and retaliated against staff who tried to call him out. - Many New York health insurance plans list therapists as "in-network" when [they actually don’t take that insurance]( aren’t accepting new patients or have non-working or incorrect numbers, according to a new report from the state's attorney general. - A city education department commission tasked with preparing a plan to comply with the state's new class size law is deeply divided over [whether the city can — or should — reduce class sizes]( as required. - Police have identified the man who was allegedly beaten to death by his cab driver in Bensonhurst early Thursday, as [the cabbie remains on the loose](. - Hundreds of people gathered at a Hanukkah rally in Columbus Circle last night to [sing prayers and call for a cease-fire in Gaza](. - The House of Representatives yesterday [voted to censure]( Rep. Jamaal Bowman for falsely pulling a fire alarm at a congressional office building earlier this year. - Police said celebrity jeweler Benny Nisanov, AKA Benny Da Jeweler, was [held up at gunpoint]( and robbed of a $1 million chain necklace in the Diamond District early Thursday. - A tanker truck overturned at JFK Airport yesterday, [spilling 4,000 gallons of fuel]( onto the tarmac. - Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott has apologized for saying during a 2019 practice that [the 9/11 hijackers were a good example of how to use teamwork]( to carry out a game plan. - [A convicted Capitol rioter]( is among the "15 bona fide candidates" the Republican selection committee said it's reviewing as possible nominees to run for Rep. George Santos' old seat. - Bradley Cooper has [a Philly cheesesteak truck](. - A pig named Albert Einswine escaped from a New Jersey farm and [led cops on a little chase]( earlier this week. - [Was 2023]( the year of the bunk bed? - Have some time for a game? [Play]( our mini local news crossword. - Sign up for reminders when we publish new games [here](. “[The faith community stands ready to work with New York City in order to support migrants who are here. Some call it a crisis, we call it an opportunity]( - Pastor Gil Monrose, head of the city's Office of Faith-Based and Community Partnerships More from Gothamist [second image]( [Compost collection to disappear from NYC greenmarkets due to budget cuts, staffers say]( GrowNYC — which runs food scrap collection services at more than 50 farmer’s markets and farm stands around the city — said its tents will make their last appearances from Dec. 13-17. [New immersive experience based on the movie 'Poor Things' opens in Williamsburg]( Billed as "part performance, part tasting menu," the pop-up "experience" will last about 20 minutes and is inspired by scenes when the movie’s main character visits Paris. [We Rely On Your Support]( [MTA board approves congestion pricing tolls, initiating 60-day review]( The tolls impose a $15 fee on passenger vehicles that enter the congestion zone from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. [A guide to great alternative holiday musical events in NYC this month]( WQXR's Ed Yim recommends four events that go beyond traditional carols and Handel’s "Messiah." [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Twitter]( [New York Public Radio] [WNYC]( | [WQXR]( | [NJPR]( | [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( | [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. All rights reserved. 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013 [TERMS OF USE]( You can update your [PREFERENCES]( or [UNSUBSCRIBE]( from this list.