🌱 NYC Considers Micro Plastics Water Testing + Con Ed Rate Hike?

Good morning, New York City!

• The City Council is considering mandating drinking water be tested for micro plastics
• There's a Con Edison rate hike on the horizon
• Inside the feud between two West Village newspapers

But first, today's weather: Mainly cloudy, a bit of snow. High: 33 Low: 28.

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

1. Police have confiscated more than $8 million in illegal cannabis from unlicensed marijuana shops, Sheriff Anthony Miranda announced at a public safety briefing on Friday. (New York City Patch)
   • The briefing was led by Deputy Mayor of Public Safety Phil Banks, who has made few public appearances since being appointed last January. It was the first in a series of presentations aimed at giving government officials a means of connecting directly with New Yorkers. Banks refused to answer a question regarding what his role entailed and how it differed from the NYPD commissioner. (Gothamist)
2. City lawmakers are considering requiring the NYC Department of Environmental Protection to test drinking water for micro plastics and other tiny particles, expand COVID-19 wastewater testing, and alert community leaders if work could lead to discolored water or a drop in water pressure. (Gothamist)
3. Con Edison is proposing a new rate hike for New Yorkers in the five boroughs and Westchester, which could go into effect in June. It would raise the average electric bill 12 percent over three years, and the average bill for gas customers 20 percent in Manhattan, The Bronx and northern Queens. The proposal includes that Con Ed won't shut off services for customers when it's under 32 degrees or over 90. (The City)
4. A lawsuit filed on Friday could delay petitioning — scheduled to start next week — for the next round of City Council primaries this spring. The suit, brought by the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, alleges that the drawn Council district maps in south Queens deny "any reasonable chance of fair and effective representation" to the area's Asian American community. (AMNY)
5. A Starbucks worker in Astoria, Queens who helped organize the shop's unionization campaign is getting his job back after being fired eight months ago. The NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection had demanded he be reinstated by Feb. 27 under the city’s fast-food worker just cause law, after the city sued Starbucks. (New York City Patch)

New York City pic of the day:

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Today in New York City:

• Artist Eiko Otake Returns to The Green — Wood Cemetery with Mother (10 a.m.)
• Competitive Jenga® Tournament Lands at the TWA Hotel at JFK Airport (1 p.m.)
• Camp United Nations for Girls NYC 2023 (1 p.m.)
• No Name Comedy Variety Anniversary Show @ Recirculation In Washington Heights (5 p.m.)
• Comic Nicky Sunshine Hosts Ladies Night Showcase @ Comedy In Harlem (8 p.m.)

Here's Patch's weekend events guide!

From my notebook:

• Here's what New Yorkers need to know about how to file your taxes for free this tax season. (The City)
• Two newspapers in the West Village are locked in a feud with one another — the Village View and WestView News — which involves conspiracies, threats of defamation, and more. (The New York Times)
• A new poll found that 60 percent of New Yorkers want the city's unique dialect, phrases and slang to be protected in law. (New York City Patch)
• A slew of pizzerias across Brooklyn are closing down, including Lenny's Pizza in Bensonhurst, which was featured in "Saturday Night Fever." (New York City Patch)

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That's it for today. See you all tomorrow for another update!

— Dashiell Allen

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