WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2025
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Dear New Yorkers,
Days before the long-delayed deadline for travelers to show REAL ID-compliant identification to board a domestic flight, people lined up outside Room 133 of a building just north of City Hall, anxious to enter the Office of Vital Records.
Chris Morrissey was nearing the front of the line, and eagerly showed a staffer his plane ticket to Los Angeles.
“They told me because this is an emergency that I had to bring my flight information to get an appointment. Otherwise they didn’t have an appointment until May 20,” said Morrissey.
The Department of Health says it received nearly 32,000 birth certificate requests in April — a 79% increase compared to the same month last year.
Some of the people in line for new birth certificates had lost their ports. Some lost their social security cards. And one person still has their copy — but it had an unfortunate encounter with a Shiba Inu.
Read more here about the people scrambling to get their birth certificates in the REAL ID rush.
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Weather ⛅
Warmer and less rain: partly cloudy, with highs in the low 70s.
MTA 🚇
The World Trade Center-bound E train will run via the F line from 21 Street-Queensbridge, Queens to West 4 Street-Washington Square, Manhattan from 9:45 p.m. tonight to 5 a.m. tomorrow. Find all the MTA’s planned changes and the latest delays here.
Alternate side parking 🚙
It’s in effect today, May 7.
By the way…
Is your apartment covered by the Good Cause Eviction law? Use read our guide.)
Our Other Top Stories
- In 2015, he was a student at Elmhurst’s Cathedral Prep Seminary, the only high school seminary in the U.S. Now, his students know him as “Brother Pat.” He’s not following the speculation on who the next pope will be, but he believes that “the pope we need…is the pope we’re gonna get.”
- The budget that President Donald Trump released last week could shred New York’s housing safety net by cutting billions of dollars in federal aid, putting limits on vouchers used by some 500,000 people statewide. Landlords could wake up to find that many of their tenants can no longer pay rent.
- All 51 City Council seats are up for grabs this November — here are the races to watch. (Updated with even more races!)
- Now that the petitioning period has ended, the ballot for June’s primary is officially set: See the final batch of candidates, with some new faces.
Reporter’s Notebook
Cuomo Eyes Independent Ballot Line After Dem Primary
Whether he wins the June Democratic mayoral primary or not, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo will also be running on an independent party line in November, his campaign announced Tuesday.
He’s petitioning for the “Fight and Deliver” party to appear on the November general ballot, saying in a statement that he has found voters have become disillusioned with the Democratic party.
The additional line will create a bigger coalition if he does win the primary, Cuomo said. “We will be responsive to those who want to my candidacy, but who would like an alternate way to do it, by starting the Fight and Deliver Party to appeal to disillusioned Democrats, as well as to independents and Republicans,” he wrote.
In 1977, Mario Cuomo, Andrew’s father, lost a Democratic mayoral primary (in September) and then failed again as a third-party candidate in November.
Mayor Eric Adams is also running on an independent line but skipping the primary altogether.
— Katie Honan
Jail Boss Wants to Read More Detainee Mail
City correction officers would be able to open all personal mail behind closed doors to make it easier for them to find drugs and other contraband, if a new proposal from the Department of Correction is approved.
Currently, only large packages are opened by jail staff privately, while letters are opened by correction officers in front of detainees.
Department Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie is seeking permission from the city’s Board of Correction to change that longstanding policy for up to three months.
In a letter to the board dated April 14, she noted that the number of overdoses behind bars has gone up over the past few years — saying the use of anti-OD drug Narcan went up 28% between 2023 and 2024.
Criminal justice reformers have long argued that most drugs are brought in by jail officers or staff.During the peak of the pandemic when outside visits were blocked, THE CITY reported, even more drugs flowed into the jails than before.
— Reuven Blau
Things To Do
Here are some free and low-cost things to do around the city this week.
- Wednesday, May 7: Dance the bachata and merengue at Bryant Park. 6 p.m.
- Wednesday, May 7: Get a free Krispy Kreme doughnut in honor of the REAL ID deadline! No ID required.
- Wednesday, May 7: Do sunset yoga at Battery Park. 6 p.m.
THE KICKER: The Bronx Zoo’s new baby vulture has forced zookeepers to rethink their feeding strategy: less mammal, more muppet.
Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Wednesday.
Love,
THE CITY
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