Author: Chau Mui

Hope you are all staying warm and dry. This is a special edition of the newsletter to help spread awareness. If you’re one of the few who had to adventure out today, here’s what you need to know to stay safe today. Sending you all lots of love!

TODAY’S UPDATE

1. RAIN UPDATES YOU SHOULD KNOW

NYC NEWS TO KNOW • MTA Subway Delays The rain is NOT playing today. Check to see if your line is impacted…which, let’s be real. It most likely is. Plenty of cancellations across the LIRR, MetroNorth and MTA. ◦NO MetroNorth service in or out of Grand Central. Take the train to the Bronx to catch a ride if need be. ◦New York City Transit is cross-honoring Metro-North tickets between the Bronx and Grand Central. ◦NJPATH is fine. • Airport Delays   ◦JFK – Delayed flights ◦Laguardia – Terminal A closed ◦Newark – Delayed flights • Driving Delays ◦Sections of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway in both Queens and Brooklyn are closed • Report Damage ◦If your property is damaged, file a report here with the city. READER QUESTION: HOW DO THEY REMOVE THE RAIN FROM THE TRAINS?   Thankfully, the MTA is somewhat prepared for flooding due to Hurricane Sandy. In 2017, over $800 million was invested in a subway emergency plan to update the system to handle floods.    Since then, the MTA has implemented backflow preventers in some stations, that allow the water to flow out and keep the water from coming back. There are also high-tech trap doors and vent covers installed over 3,000 openings south of 14th Street in Manhattan.   Other times, the water has to be pumped through hoses, but on an average average, non apocalyptic day, 13 million gallons of water are pumped out of the subway station.   Today’s rainfall is more than what the subway is used to handling, and while teams are already at bay to solve this…we suggest you stay home tonight.    Lots of love and hugs to you! – Chau <3

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Community-first. Women-led. ciaooo! is on a mission to empower brands and organizations that make NYC a better place. Learn more! 

If you’re new to this newsletter, this is where we share updates on everything you need to know as a NYC local. From upcoming events to policy changes, Ciaooo was created for smart New Yorkers that care about celebrating a diverse and inclusive NYC. Yerrr!   Know someone who loves being in the know & meeting cool people? Share this with a friend and join our community of 2,656 locals! Stay tuned for upcoming events this Fall!

👋🏾 COMMUNITY UPDATES Did your friend launch a clothing line? Are you hosting a volunteer night? Do you know of a cool event? This is an open space for Ciaooo members to share upcoming news, projects, events + opportunities! Simply reply back to this email!    🖥️ NYC JOB OPPORTUNITY • Head of Marketing- Looking for a new job? Love live events? Then you’ll want to work with this NYC based startup that’s taking Eventbrite to the next level. Shout out to community member Jake H for sharing this opportunity. $120 – $150K + equity. Apply here!  🎉 UPCOMING EVENTS • Comedy Show Giveaway – Our beloved comedian (and former MC of many a Ciaooo event), Brittany Brave, is headlining at the Comedy Shoppe on September 12 @ 8PM. We’re giving away free tickets for 2 lucky Ciaooo readers! Respond back to this email with your favorite dad joke and we’ll announce a winner in next week’s newsletter! We’ll also do a post on IG!

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2. YOUR WEEKLY ROUNDUP OF IMPORTANT NEWS

We’re testing out some new changes with the newsletter in the next few editions. We want to know what you prefer seeing in this section. Reply back to this email with one of the below emojis and let us know! •🏊🏽 explanatory deep dives, •👤 profile pieces •📍round ups WHAT TO KNOW Sketchy Landlords Can No Longer be…Sketchy – A new bill is being presented to fight the war on skyrocketing rent.  One of the ways that landlords do this is by anonymously purchasing multiple properties through shell LLCs. The new bill would require owners to reveal their identity – meaning you can start calling up ol’ Fred if they refuse to turn on the heat again.  Celebrate Carnival on Labor Day! – The West Indian Day Parade and Carnival is taking place this Monday, September 5th. Expect nearly two million people to attend the parade in Crown Heights, Brooklyn where you’ll see calypso bands + vibrant performers in celebration of the Trinidadian, Haitian, Jamaican and other West Indian heritages.  An Astronaut from Long Island Just Went to Space  –  Long Island native Jasmin Moghbeli was part of the 7 person crew to fly to the International Space Station as part of the SpaceX crew on Sunday. She grew up in Baldwin, New York! A win for Long Island!

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OH HEY, HELLO, ciaooo! 

3.  COMEDIENNE BRITTANY BRAVE IS BACK IN TOWN!

Meet Brittany Brave! She’s a comedian! An Activist! A tarot card reader (not like in a woo woo way, but an improv comedy way). We’re especially proud of Brittany for this event – despite moving back to Florida during the pandemic, she continued to pursue comedy! Since then, she’s appeared on MTV, TBS, the New York Times, and took home New Times‘ “Best Comedian” title in 2021.   Join us in welcoming her back for a very special NYC show on September 12th!    September 12th @ 8PM  The Comedy Shoppe 167 Bleecker St, New York, NY, 10012 $15 a ticket / 2 drink minimum Tickets here

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Community-first. Women-led. ciaooo! is on a mission to empower brands and organizations that make NYC a better place. Learn more! 

GOOD NEWS

$4 Movie Tickets this Sunday National Cinema Day is this Sunday! Celebrate with $4 movie tickets at theatres like Regal Union Square and Alamo Drafthouse. Showtimes are running out, so get them fast! Social Media Volunteers for a Nonprofit Needed – Do you know of anyone interested in working with a nonprofit involved with women’s reproductive rights? One of our readers is affiliated with a nonprofit that is looking for a social media volunteer. Reply back to this email to learn more!

WTF NEWS

Are fireflies dying out? – A quintessential NYC Summer used to involve the looping songs of the ice cream truck, kids playing through an open hydrant and the flickering of fireflies. Today, experts fear the fireflies are facing extinction due to climate change. Here’s what experts are saying!

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2. ROUNDUP OF NYC CHANGES YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS MONTH

Last October, we wrote about New York’s giant push for clean energy. With one of the most aggressive climate initiatives in the entire nation, new laws like the “Zero Waste Initiative”, and “Skip the Stuff” are finally launching after a $50 billion executive order was announced last September.    This means there are a lot of new changes that will affect you! Here’s what you need to know: •🗑️ What’s Up with Those Orange Garbage Cans? –  Notice anything new around Brooklyn? Free composting bins and pickups will be available in every neighborhood to curb waste in landfills. These bins are for food scraps and other organic materials that can be used to make soil. The program first launched in Queens and is set to arrive in Manhattan this Oct, with the Bronx and Staten Island in March 2024. Here’s to a rat free NYC!  •🍴Forks, Spoons and Chopsticks, Oh My!  – Earlier this Summer, Mayor Adams signed the “Skip the Stuff” law to reduce the amount of single use plastics in NYC. This means your delivery + takeout orders will no longer automatically be putting silverware in your bags, unless you ask for it!  •🚆 MTA/ LIRR / Metro North Fares All Increase – MTA went up from $2.75 -$2.90, LIRR + Metro North by 4.5%. Toll rates for EZ Pass also are increasing by 6%. •🚗 Congestion Pricing Coming to NYC – Starting Spring of 2024, drivers will pay new pricing to enter NYC  south of 61st Street — anywhere from $9 to $23 per trip. Whether Uber drivers, locals, low-income drivers, or you will have to foot the bill is still up the air. •🍔 Restaurants Can No Longer to Put out Garbage Bags – As part of Mayor Adam’s war on rats, restaurants and food businesses must put their garbage in bins outside. Hopefully, we’ll be seeing less rats!

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OH HEY, HELLO, ciaooo! 

3.  NEW YORK’S LARGEST CHINESE FOOD FESTIVAL IS HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND

Dragonfest is an annual outdoor Chinese food & culture festival with experiential activities, tastings, and market fairs that showcases the vibrant food, art and cultural traditions from China. It is a cultural platform that connects people in New York to Chinese restaurants, food vendors, artists and local communities. The event is FREE!    Dates: August 26, 2023 Broadway between 12th & 13th St New York, NY   August 27, 2023 4th Ave between 12th & 13th St New York, NY   September 17, 2023 6th Ave between 29th & 30th St New York, NY

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Community-first. Women-led. ciaooo! is on a mission to empower brands and organizations that make NYC a better place. Learn more! 

GOOD NEWS

Got 2 Go Pee? Check out this map of public bathrooms!  We all know the feeling when you’re in the city somewhere and need to use the bathroom. Tik Tok influencer turned activist, Teddy Siegel has created a map called Got2GoNYC – which crowdsources free public bathrooms across all 5 boroughs. She’s also helped push legislation to call for more public restrooms. Pee-elujah!

WTF NEWS

The Subway is so expensive!  The MTA fare is increasing from $2.75 to $2.90 starting this month on August 20th! The 7-Day Unlimited Ride pass will increase from $33 to $34, and the 30-Day Unlimited Ride pass will increase from $127 to $132.

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2. WHAT’S THE MIGRANT TEA?!

THE MEDIA VS THE MIGRANTS Last week, Mayor Adams implemented a state of emergency after announcing New York City had run out of shelter for migrants.   With over 1000 rooms, the city’s main shelter, the Roosevelt Hotel ran out of beds last week. Since then, the shelter has had a line of hundreds waiting for a bed outside, right by Grand Central Station. The scenario has turned into a media circus, and politicians, media sites, and New Yorkers are taking all sides.    In the most brief google search (see picture above), you can see the different biases across the media sites, which brings us to our question…what the heck is really going on?   HERE’S THE REAL TEA THOUGH…  To make up for the deficit, Mayor Adams announced two new facilities to house the migrants in Brooklyn across Sunset Park and Williamsburg but one thing many of the sites are missing is the drama behind the handling of the migrants.   The city hired a medical firm called DocGo to house, transport and manage migrants. Originally hired to handle vaccinations throughout the pandemic, the group was awarded a $432 MILLION contract to now handle migrants, While large contracts are essential for a case of this magnitude, the sourcing feels…off. The firm has gotten multiple complaints about busing migrants to Albany, lying to them about work visas and even threatening and abandoning them. Yet, DocGo reported record growth in the second quarter of this year.     On top of that, the Sunset Park location is being managed by another medical firm called MedRite, which mishandled the Monkeypox vaccination program in a separate $36 million contract. What’s up with these medical clinics being hired to handle this?   WHO SHOULD YOU TRUST? While the issue of migrants can be polarizing, what we can say is that there is most certainly some sort of mishandling through the city agencies. We need more checks and balances in place from the media/journalists who investigate, the city agencies that operate, and from you, the readers who are the constituents. That’s why we write what we write, and we’re a glad you’re a part of this journey. What are your thoughts on the issues and what should we cover next?

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OH HEY, HELLO, ciaooo! 

3.  HEARD ABOUT THE TV STRIKES? HERE’S HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT THE WRITERS/PRODUCERS!

Thanks to our ciaooo reader Rachael Burke for this recco!!!    Amidst the writers’ strike, writers and producers at The Drew Barrymore Show, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, and The Tonight Show come together for Time to Kill: A Sketch Comedy Show, a true sketch comedy variety sketch show made up of the best comedians in New York City — with each performance packed with sketches, musical numbers, celebrity impressions, and more!   This month features America’s sweethearts LeClerc Andre (The Tonight Show), Jack Blankenship (The Tonight Show), Rachael Burke (The Drew Barrymore Show), Lily Blumkin (The Daily Show) Scott Hercman (The Daily Show), Sila Puhl (McSweeney’s), Nick Reichheld (NBC’s Bring the Funny), and more! Plus, stand-up from Saturday Night Live’s KC Shornima!   Date Time: August 12, 2023, 7:30 pm Location:The PIT Theatre, 154 W 29th St, New York, NY 10001 Tickets: $25

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Community-first. Women-led. ciaooo! is on a mission to empower brands and organizations that make NYC a better place. Learn more! 

GOOD NEWS

Gun shootings down by 25% in NYC  Shootings in NYC dropped by 25% this year, compared to last year with a decline for 13 straight weeks. Also dropping were murders, rapes, burglaries and robberies. Perhaps, Summer does cure all? Send Chinatown Love Announces New Cookbook! The Volunteer organization is announcing an incredible cookbook to support NYC restaurants. Preorder the book now! Scroll to the bottom to learn more!

WTF! NEWS

Pooop! There’s poop in the water!  Nastayyyy. Over 58% of beaches in NY’s 344 beaches tested positive for potentially unsafe levels of sewage or fecal bacteria. This is due to outdated sewage runoff, and not people just going #2 in the water. The sad part? Our beaches still tested better than Florida + West Coast beaches.  NYT replaces Sports Section w The Athletic The Athletic, a sports newsletter purchased by NYT is now replacing its sports section. No layoffs are announced but, you’ll have to pony up more $ on top of the digital subscription to read about sports. Hey, if anyone wants to connect our newsletter with the NYT, let us know.

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2. UBER, GRUBHUB & DOORDASH ARE SUING NEW YORK CITY

FOOD APPS VS NEW YORK CITY

Last week, Uber, DoorDash and Grubhub each filed a temporary restraining order against NYC to stop a wage increase for delivery drivers that would go into effect, tomorrow, July 12th.    The increase was announced last month, after City Council passed the set of bills to set a living wage that would affect over 60,000 delivery app drivers. The wages would increase from $11 per hour, to $18 per hour, before tips. Quick refresher…Minimum wage in NYC is $15 per hour so their current pay was totally not kosher.   The delivery apps argue that the increased wage would force them to pass the costs on to consumers and raise prices.

SHOULD YOU DELETE YOUR FOOD DELIVERY APP? 

This isn’t the first time delivery apps have gotten into hot water over their prices. At the height of the pandemic, the apps were taking a WHOPPING 20 – 30% commission from restaurants (which were already struggling to survive).   According to the City Record,  workers made about on average $4.32 per delivery, while delivery companies on average made $4.19 per delivery.

WHAT’S TO COME?

Well, if we look to an earlier gig economy battle – Uber and Lyft had sued to stop a proposed driver pay increase of 9% earlier this year. They ended up losing and Uber/Lyft got approx 22% more expensive.    We expect the food delivery apps will continue to lobby, and pass the costs on to you, the consumer. While legislation is still being fought to limit commissions from the apps, many restaurants simply can’t afford to hire their own delivery staff and rely on the apps for new customers. What do you think will happen?

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OH HEY, HELLO, ciaooo! 

3.  JUST LAUNCHED: ANNOUNCING NEW YORK CITY’S COOKBOOK!!!

FROM VOLUNTEER GROUP TO COOKBOOK ​60+ RECIPES / 44 RESTAURANTS / 18+ CUISINES / 24 NEIGHBORHOODS   WOW. This is BEYOND impressive! 3 years ago, we did an Instagram Live and wrote a feature on Justin Mckibben, the Chinese Vietnamese founder of a small volunteer group called SEND CHINATOWN LOVE.   Saddened by the struggles of Chinatown restaurants, Justin brought together some friends to help get the restaurants into the digital space, by creating digital gift cards, updating their websites and even creating a database of restaurants for New Yorkers to order from.   Today, the New York-based volunteer organization, is announcing its first print cookbook, featuring home cook-friendly recipes from beloved businesses across Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn!    Send Chinatown Love will be introducing Made Here: Recipes and Reflections from NYC’s Asian Communities, an independent cookbook publication created by over 58 volunteers! All the proceeds from this book will go to supporting the efforts of SEND CHINATOWN LOVE! We’re so proud of the 100% volunteer efforts of this group!    Tap below to preorder the book now!

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Community-first. Women-led. ciaooo! is on a mission to empower brands and organizations that make NYC a better place. Learn more!