What's in the pile of bills on Hochul's desk

Plus: The Barclays Center concert that made the neighborhood shake [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]( [Wrongful deaths, ‘Frankensteining’ and more: Here’s what’s on NY Gov. Hochul’s desk]( [first image]( [Today's newsletter curated by James Ramsay]( Weather: ☁️ Cloudy and cold, with highs in the upper 30s. It's Friday in New York, where Gov. Kathy Hochul has until the end of the week to sign or veto more than 85 bills [currently sitting on her desk](. Among them: - a bill to make most [town- and county-level]( elections line up with presidential and congressional election years - a bill to [close a loophole]( that allows landlords to 'Frankenstein' apartments — combining multiple empty, rent-stabilized units into one, skirting the rent control protections - and a bill requiring New York City to install recycling bins at every park, playground, historical site and recreational facility. Here's what else is happening: - New York City faces the risk of more frequent winter blackouts as [buildings shift to electrical heating]( under new climate laws. - A 15-block stretch of the Upper West Side will serve as the pilot for the city’s "Smart Curbs" program, which aims to [repurpose curbside parking spots]( for delivery loading zones, outdoor dining and bike parking. - We stopped by the Carle Place Diner on Long Island to check in with voters [ahead of the special election]( to replace former Rep. George Santos. - The city’s teachers union filed a lawsuit Thursday aiming to stop Mayor Eric Adams from [slashing the education department’s budget](. - A Queens man who once clashed with neighbors after displaying Nazi memorabilia in common areas of their Sunnyside condo building [has pleaded not guilty]( to hate crime and other charges. - Thousands of people descend on New York City every December to enjoy the holiday spectacle — but what does it mean for those who live here? What's your favorite New York City holiday tradition? [Record a voicemail and you may hear your voice on WNYC]( - New York City [will end 2023]( with one of its lowest pedestrian death rates in 114 years — but its highest cyclist death rate in 20 years. - Congrats to Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx for becoming the first ever city school to ever win a [state football championship](. - Cardinal Hayes' win notwithstanding, the City of Swagger is [not having a December to remember](. - "Look, if you want to eat fried chicken while traveling over the holidays, then Chick-fil-A should be open on Sundays": Manhattan Assemblyman Tony Simone is sponsoring a state bill that would force Chick-fil-A restaurants inside publicly operated rest stops to be [open seven days a week](. - In other Chick-fil-A news, a New Jersey court has ruled against Cinnaminson Township's attempt to [seize a local woman's property]( in order to build a new location for the chicken sandwich chain. - Alec {NAME} is urging Radio City Music Hall to [stop using live animals in its Nativity scene](. - A Travis Scott concert at the Barclays Center earlier this week [caused neighboring streets to shake](. - The Secret Service said it's aware that the actor who played Bo Duke on "Dukes of Hazzard" [tweeted]( that President Joe Biden is "guilty of treason and should be publicly hung." - "The Gilded Age" [has been renewed]( for season 3. - [What's that]( in Kim Kardashian's bathtub? - Have some time for a game? [Play]( our mini local news crossword. - Sign up for reminders when we publish new games [here](. “[People voted for him.]( - Maureen Marino, [A REPUBLICAN VOTER]( who's upset her party could lose a seat over the george santos fiasco More from Gothamist [second image]( [NYPD overtime pay in the subway went from $4 million to $155 million this year]( The influx of officers corresponded to a 2% drop in what police call "major" crimes in the subway. But the most marked effect of adding officers was a skyrocketing number of tickets and arrests for fare evasion. [Central Park Christmas Bird Count finds more birds staying north due to climate change]( The 124th annual Christmas bird count concluded with a tally of 9,673 birds in Central Park — including many species whose ranges have moved northward by as much as 200 miles. [We Rely On Your Support]( [8 tips to help New Yorkers deal with stress in 2024]( Ask yourself: "What would future me wish I’d done?" [Bronx artist Manny Vega on his new show: 'I’m not chasing an art scene']( Vega, whose murals and mosaics can be seen on storefronts in East Harlem and at the 110th Street subway station, has been named the first-ever artist-in-residence at the Museum of the City of New York. [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.