WORLD WORLDWIDE USA New York NY New York City NYC the city THE CITY News Journal Update - Budget cuts could trash composting, “new front” in cannabis crackdown, latest FAQ NYC

 

Dear New Yorkers,

In Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn and The Bronx, food scraps placed in sidewalk and curbside bins are not actually composted.

Instead, most of it gets turned into a slurry, added to wastewater sludge and digested at facilities to create biogas.

The part of NYC’s food waste that actually gets composted does so through community compost organizations, rather than the city. More than 200 sites throughout the five boroughs collect scraps and send the material to be broken down into nutrient-rich fertilizer or mulch used to help make soils healthier.

But now, budget cuts — part of City Hall’s wider plan to trim spending across the board — are threatening that option. Organizations such as GrowNYC, the Lower East Side Ecology Center, BIG Reuse and Earth Matter and the four borough botanical gardens will need to shut down their city-funded programs by the end of the year.

Read more here

Weather scoop by New York Metro Weather Tuesday's Weather Rating: 5/10. It's cold out there this morning! High temperatures barely scrape 40° F this afternoon with a very noticeable breeze continuing all day. We've got sunshine, but grab a winter jacket. A few spotty snow showers are also possible later on. The vibes are chilly out there!

Our Other Top Stories

In what City Hall said was a “new front” in its so far largely unsuccessful crackdown on illegal cannabis shops, the sheriff’s office has sent letters to the landlords and owners of 50 buildings across the city. The letters warn the recipients that they could be liable for the unlicensed sale of marijuana by their tenants — and eventually could face civil penalties of up to $5,000 a day if they fail to evict those tenants. The city wouldn’t disclose what buildings the letters targeted, but did say that the shops in them have already been fined more than $7 million.  Are the political walls closing in on Mayor Adams as his job approval ratings plummet? Is this really “a city in crisis” as some of his potential opponents are saying — or are they just trying to capitalize on the same rhetoric that helped Adams get to City Hall in the first place? All that and much more gets discussed on the latest episode of the FAQ NYC podcast.

Today is Giving Tuesday — and The Scoop needs your support!

Please consider a donation to THE CITY’s year-end campaign. We’re only 13% of the way to our goal, and we’re counting on today to get us a lot closer.

Your gift will go a long way to keeping The Scoop, and all of THE CITY’s reporting, the best it can be for all New Yorkers.

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Things To Do

Here’s what’s going on around the city this week.

Tuesday, Nov. 28: Brooklyn Mornings: Spike Lee: Creative Sources, a community event for individuals with memory loss and their caregivers at an immersive exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum that delves into the world of the legendary filmmaker. Free with registration from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 28: The ABCs of Book Banning, a screening of a documentary short about kids affected by book bans, plus a post-screening discussion. Free from 7 to 8 p.m. at the New York Public Library’s Stephen A. Schwarzman building, or by livestream.  Thursday, Nov. 30: The 41st Annual Wreath Interpretations show’s opening reception, a holiday exhibition of more than 30 imaginative wreaths by Parks Department employees, artists, designers, and others. Free from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Arsenal Gallery in Central Park.

THE KICKER: The cheapest thing inside — or anywhere near — the Whitney Museum must surely be this $1 vending machine that produces NYC-themed prints by artist Anastasia Inciardi. Options include a bagel with lox and a bodega cat. No museum ticket is required to use it.

Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Tuesday.

Love,

THE CITY

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