🌱 LIRR Service At Grand Central Today + '212' Numbers Up For Grabs

Good morning, New York City!

• Full Long Island Railroad service is at Grand Central today.
• Advocates worry expiring SNAP benefits could increase food insecurity.
• Iconic "212" numbers are back in circulation!

But first, today's weather:

A little wintry mix. High: 42 Low: 34.

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

1. Full Long Island Railroad to Grand Central service is set to begin today, with trains from every branch running on the new extension, for a total of 300 trains per day. They'll be "a train hitting Manhattan, either Penn Station or Grand Central Madison, every 3 to 6 minutes during the peak period" according to LIRR Commuter Council Chairman Gerard Bringmann, although they'll now be fewer trains to Penn Station. (News 12 Bronx)
2. Advocates are concerned more New Yorkers could be in need of assistance after federal pandemic-era emergency SNAP food benefits expire in March. They're calling on the state government to include provisions in its anual budget that could make up some of the nearly $250,000 the state previously had for food-insecure New Yorkers. (Spectrum News NY1)
3. Some Lyft and Uber drivers say their accounts are being deactivated arbitrarily, without the company giving them a clear reason, making it difficult to impossible to continue working. The New York Taxi Workers Alliance said they may ask the city to intervene if the companies don't change their process. (Documented NY)
4. The head of the Fire Department's union is concerned the smoke form lithium-ion batteries used on e-bikes could be "as dangerous as the toxins that swirled around Ground Zero after 9/11 or the military’s burn pits in Afghanistan," the Daily News reports. He's suggesting the Department prioritize cleaning firefighter's gear shortly following the fires. (New York Daily News)
5. Highly-coveted by many New Yorkers, a few iconic "212" area code phone numbers are now becoming available as they come out of a "dormant status," and getting randomly assigned to new users in the city. That's created excitement on a New York sub-reddit. (Gothamist)

New York City pic of the day:

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Today in New York City:

• Lobby Sounds by Najah Lewis - Moxy NYC Times Square (5 p.m.)
• Joshua Henry LIVE GUEST on The Downside With Gianmarco Soresi and co-host Russell Daniels - Sesh Comedy (7 p.m.)
• Nic Stone + E. Lockhart: Chaos Theory - The Strand Bookstore (7 p.m.)
• Melanie Charles at Blue Note Jazz Club (8 p.m.)
• Drag Bingo - Moxy NYC Chelsea (9 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• The city government has moved to stop homeless and runaway youth from sleeping in drop-in centers across the five boroughs, but at least one center, which assists LGBTQ+ youth, is resisting the change. (Subscription/The New York Times)
• Artist Misha Tyutyunik is working on a mural in Manhattan that provides "a glimpse into the life of a Ukrainian family." (Spectrum News NY1)
• New York City is home to the longest commutes in the country, a new study found. (SILive.com)
• A Jewish temple on the Upper East Side had a 'Day of Resolve,' holding a Shabbat morning service on Saturday, on what neo-Nazi groups had said would be a 'Day of Hate.' (WABC-TV)
• In The Bronx, residents are frustrated that the revitalization of Fordham Plaza hasn't turned it into the bustling community center they were promised. (New York Daily News)

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That's it for today! I'll see you soon.

— Dashiell Allen

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