🌱 NYC 1st US City To Offer Free Abortion Pills + Gun Violence Stats

Hello, everybody! It's Saturday in New York City and I'm back in your inbox with everything you need to know about what's happening in our community.

But first, today's weather:

Partly sunny. High: 43 Low: 33.

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

1. On Tuesday, Mayor Eric Adams announced that New York City is now the first city in the country to offer free abortion pills at public clinics. The service is already available in a Bronx clinic, with availability to come to Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens by the year’s end. This announcement comes just days before what would have been the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. (USA Today)
2. City data show that gun violence linked to minors is rising in New York City. Since 2019, the annual number of people under 18 who were shot across the city has more than doubled. When asked about the cause, John Jay College of Criminal Justice professor Jeffrey Butts acknowledged the pandemic's role in disrupting school, income, and mental health resources, as well as the increase in gun purchases. (CBS News)
3. The city’s parks and green spaces are helping reduce New York City’s carbon footprint. During warm months, the trees can absorb carbon emissions equivalent to all traffic emissions. In an effort to add greenspaces to the area, the Parks Department planted 13,000 trees in 2022. (Spectrum News NY 1)

Today in New York City:

• Lunar New Year Festival At The Metropolitan Museum Of Art (11:00 AM)
• Chaitali Sen Presents A New Race Of Men From Heaven With Abeer Hoque At P&T Knitwear (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Jim, Harry, and Phil, the peacocks of the Cathedral of St. John, are retiring to a sanctuary in South Salem, New York. Visit the Cathedral today from 12:00-4:00 p.m. for a farewell carnival and retirement celebration. (Harlem World Magazine)
• New York City residents have been dining outside 12 times as much since June 2020. The new Open Restaurants program created outdoor dining opportunities outside Manhattan, particularly in communities of color and low-income neighborhoods. (NYU)
• Unionized HarperCollins employees held a rally outside News Corporation on Wednesday to mark their 50th day of striking. Union leaders have been negotiating for increased salaries, union security rights, and codified DEI initiatives. (Vice)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Wednesday. Your usual curator, Dashiell Allen, will be back tomorrow. It’s been a pleasure, New York City!

— Danielle Fallon-O'Leary

About me: Danielle Fallon-O’Leary is a content manager with content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and assists Patch.com with community newsletter curation. Danielle also holds a Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and works part-time as a pediatric speech therapist.