🌱 Fifth Rikers Island Death + NY Files Complaint Against Amazon

Good morning. New York alleges that Amazon has discriminated against pregnant workers, another detainee died on Rikers Island, and De Blasio is officially considering a run for Congress. And don't miss Taylor Swift's speech about 'cringe' to NYU's graduating class.

Have a great Thursday.

First, today's weather:

Morning rain, then some sun. High: 70 Low: 58.

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Here are the top five stories today in New York City:

1. The New York State Division of Human Rights is filing a complaint against Amazon, claiming that the tech company discriminated against pregnant workers and employees with disabilities, by forcing them to take unpaid sick leave. A spokesperson for Amazon said the company was surprised by the filing. (New York City Patch)
2. Under a new state bill New Yorkers would be able to vote in polling locations other than the ones they are technically assigned to, provided they are still within the correct county or assembly district. So-called "wrong church" ballots disenfranchised 14,000 voters in 2020. (Patch)
3. A report released on Tuesday describes the conditions in Rikers Island's jails as 'potentially life-threatening,' according to a federal monitor. Meanwhile, Gothamist reports the death of the fifth detainee this year alone, 31-year-old Mary Yehudah, who was being held on a robbery charge. (New York City Patch)
4. Governor Hochul announced measures on Wednesday to strengthen New York's 'Red Flag' gun control law following last weekend's mass-shooting in Buffalo, which requires authorities to label individuals as potentially dangerous to themselves or others. The shooting is being investigated as a hate crime. (Gothamist)
5. Happy is an elephant residing at the Bronx Zoo. But is she also a person? That's what a case brought before New York's highest court by the Nonhuman Rights Project argues. Opponents to the case, including the zoo's attorneys, argue that designating an elephant with personhood would lead to a slew of other court challenges on behalf of other animals. (Associated Press)

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Crime corner:

• A 15-year-old was allegedly caught with two loaded guns at York Early College Academy in Queens on Wednesday. (NBC New York)
• Fort Hamilton High School in Brooklyn has experienced three separate bomb threats over as many days this week. (New York City Patch)
• Mayor Adams tried out a new 'gun detector' security system Wednesday outside of City Hall. While these metal detectors are specifically programmed to identify guns, they reportedly sometimes get mixed up by Chromebooks. (New York City Patch)

Today in New York City:

• Exhibition of artist Charlie Hewitt at Jim Kempner Fine Art, Chelsea (6 p.m.)
• Occupation Culture: A Conversation with Alan Moore & Friends at the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space (7 p.m.)
• Online Presentation to Showcase Shearith Israel and other surviving Early American Synagogues (7:30 p.m.)
• Concert in the Catacombs: Palestinian Kanun (Mediterranean Zither) player and composer Firas Zreik at Green-Wood Cemetery (8 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• "Learn to live alongside cringe. No matter how hard you try to avoid being cringe, you will look back at your life and cringe retrospectively. Never be ashamed of trying." That was pop star (and honorary doctor) Taylor Swift's message to the NYU graduating class of 2022. (New York City Patch)
• Grubhub's free lunch promotion Wednesday turned out to be a 'fiasco' with restaurants and delivery workers across the city struggling to keep up with demand. (New York City Patch)
• Former Mayor Bill De Blasio officially formed an "exploratory committee" on Wednesday – the first step towards declaring a run in the newly-formed 10th Congressional District. (New York City Patch)

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You're all caught up for today. See you all tomorrow morning for another update!

— Dashiell Allen

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming New York City Daily? Contact me at patchnyc@patch.com