🌱 NYC Hospitals Prepare For Nurse Strike + End Of Year Crime Stats

Good morning, New York City!

• Some NYC hospitals are preparing for a nurse strike next week.
• Crime rose 22 percent last year, despite falling in the last months, new data shows.
• DEA agents say they seized a literal ton of fentanyl last year in New York.

But first, today's weather:

☁️ It looks like we're in for some foggy weather. A couple of morning showers. High: 48 Low: 37.

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

1. With about 10,000 nurses at five NYC hospital systems planning to strike on Jan. 9 if they don't reach a new contract deal, some hospitals are taking dramatic steps in preparation. Hospitals in the Mount Sinai Health System have begun canceling elective surgeries, diverting ambulances, discharging patients and transferring others such as NICU babies to other facilities, a memo obtained and first reported by NBC4 states. (New York City Patch)
2. Crime rose by 22 percent last year when compared to 2021, according to statistics released on Thursday. The trends reversed in the fall and winter, with the crime rate falling 11 percent in December when compared to the year before, leading Mayor Eric Adams to argue the city is heading in the right direction. (New York City Patch)
3. The Federal Election Commission has flagged three campaign contributions to Queens and Long Island Congressman-elect George Santos, each of which it said exceeded $25,000, surpassing the limit set forth for federal election activities. (New York City Patch)
   • Meanwhile, about a dozen Democratic protestors gathered outside Santos' Queens campaign headquarters on Thursday. Hizzoner had not yet been sworn into Congress, with Republicans unable to elect a House Speaker. (Gothamist)
4. The MTA, New York City's transit agency, may have been seriously overcharged for electricity by ConEdison, according to an Inspector General's report. The MTA has for years received "estimates" from the utility, which are potentially millions of dollars higher than they should have been — including during the pandemic when the subways shut down overnight. (AMNY)
5. Transportation advocates want New York to adapt the city's "vision zero" program to reduce — and ultimately eliminate — traffic deaths statewide. The advocacy group Transportation Alternatives is also pointing to a 16-year-old plan from a former governor as evidence that the state is lacking in integrating various transit agencies and reducing fossil fuel emissions. (Gothamist)

New York City pic of the day:

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Today in New York City:

• MoMA Hosts UNIQLO NYC Night (4 p.m.)
• Herbert Holler's Freedom Party® NYC 80s Tribute and Birthday (6 p.m.)
• Bronx Jewish Center at Pelham Parkway hosts Shabbat Dinner (7 p.m.)
• Tinder Live! with Lane Moore — Brooklyn (8 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• DEA agents seized a record amount of fentanyl in New York last year, amounting to over a ton. More than 2,300 overdose deaths in New York City were tied to the drug, prosecutors said Thursday. (New York City Patch)
• The search is on for woolly mammoth tusks apparently thrown into the East River in the early 20th century, after they were discussed on a recent Joe Rogan podcast episode. (Pix 11 New York)
• Hillary Clinton is set to join Columbia University in February as a professor of practice at the School of International and Public Affairs. (New York City Patch)
• The New York Attorney General's office is suing Alex Mashinsky, the ex-CEO of cryptocurrency lending platform Celsius Network, for allegedly defrauding 26,000 New Yorkers. (Subscription/New York Daily News)
• Mulchfest 2023 is in full swing through Jan. 8. It's New York City's annual event for repurposing Christmas trees. (AMNY)

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Events:

• Cooking Class “French Bistro" (January 6)
• Office Furniture & Lounge Furniture Liquidation 2 Day Liquidation Sale (January 7)
• Death in New York Walking Tour (January 7)
• Join P.S.150 on January 8, 2023, for our very first Lunar New Year Celebration! (January 8)
• La Boutique Fantasque (January 8)
• Bach Vespers Presents J.S. Bach’s Cantata “Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern” (January 8)
• High School Information Session (January 9)
• Lenihan & Weiner Comedy of the Yearier (January 9)
• Responding to the Christian Nationalist Assault on Separation of Church and State (January 9)
• White Collar Week: Elizabeth Kelley Criminal Defense for People w Mental Health Disabilities (January 10)
• Showcase From Space (January 12)
• Overcoming Burnout/Compassion Fatigue: A Workshop for Caregivers (January 14)
• Introduction to Judaism (January 18)
• Berkeley College Honors Program Information Session (January 18)
• Add your event

Gigs & services:

• Tara's School for Dogs — Training for Puppies & Adult Dogs (Details)
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Housing:

• Top Senior Housing and Assisted Living in New York and Florida (Details)
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Alrighty, you're all good for today. I'll see you soon!

— Dashiell Allen

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