🌱 Trump Grand Jury Likely Won't Meet Today + NY Weed Shop Penalties

Good morning, New York City!

• A grand jury looking into Donald Trump likely won't meet until next week.
• NYC's illegal weed shops could face high penalties.
• A watchdog agency wants school teachers to stop texting their students.

Today's newsletter is sponsored by Chia Messina, Portrait photographer

Need a professional headshot or portrait but don’t know where to start? Chia Messina can help.

Whether you’re a famous author, a yet-to-be discovered actor or a business person in the market for new clients or job opportunities, a great headshot can open doors. For 25 years, Chia Messina has been helping people build their personal brands with professional portraits. She has an amazing ability to put her subjects at ease and to capture their authenticity and warmth.

“I’m always trying to catch that moment in between breaths,” she says. “That moment where they feel like a real person.”

Chia’s studio is conveniently located in downtown Manhattan on Fulton between Broadway and Nassau. Need headshots for your business’ web site or marketing materials? Chia will come to your office and take photos of the whole team. To see her incredible work or to be in touch, visit her website here. Or to book directly, call Chia at 646-588-1521.

Now, today's weather: Clouds and breaks of sun. High: 55 Low: 42.

Business owners and marketers in New York City: Do you want to build awareness with local customers? I have a limited number of sponsorships available to introduce our readers to local businesses they need to know. Click here to learn more.

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

1. A grand jury looking into alleged hush-money payments made by former President Donald Trump likely won't meet in New York City until Monday at the earliest, according to reports. (New York City Patch)
   • The identities of the jurors will be kept anonymous, a judge has ruled, citing safety concerns. (New York Daily News)
2. New York City's roughly 1,400 unlicensed cannabis shops could face heavy penalties under a bill supported by Gov. Kathy Hochul, which would allow the state to swiftly shut them down and level $200,000 fines. There's still only three legal dispensaries open. (New York City Patch)
3. Over the past year an NYC watchdog agency has consistently recommended that public schools indiscriminately ban teachers and employees from contacting students through social media or their personal cell phones, citing examples of inappropriate miscommunication. That request is complicated by how teachers had been using technology over the past three years to connect with students during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Gothamist)
4. Hospitals across New York State have been slow to bring back more than 800 psychiatric beds that were lost at the start of the pandemic, and now Gov. Hochul is threatening to push legislation that would fine them $2,000 if the beds aren't back online by April 1. (THE CITY)
5. In addition to a behind-schedule Brooklyn jail project and New York City's currently large jail population, the plan to close Rikers Island by 2027 is appearing like a difficult feat due to a lagging plan to move seriously ill detainees to medical facilities and a slow judicial system. Those are just some of the roadblocks Department of Corrections Commissioner Louis Molina brought up at a City Council hearing on Thursday. (Gothamist)

New York City pic of the day:

Remember to submit a photo from your neighborhood to newyorkcity@patch.com for a chance to be featured! We love skylines, bodega cats, coffee shops, streetscapes, parks and everything else that makes this city great.

From our sponsor:

Looking for something new to watch? Get fresh recommendations delivered straight to your inbox with the Likewise What to Watch newsletter! Their personalized recommendations are driven by what real people are watching and recommending, so you can trust that you're getting the best suggestions. Sign up now for free!

Today in New York City:

• The Women of New York Light Up Wall Street (11 a.m.)
• Water Week Boat Tour: Ocean Stewardship from the Bronx to Brooklyn (1 p.m.)
• Alias Smith & Jones and The Button Men Bring Live Blues To The Shrine In Harlem (8 p.m.)
• Live Music Fridays Presents: Kerry Kearney and Friends (8:30 p.m.)
• Bar Moxy Variety Show! (9 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• A new online housing tool from Cornell University gives New Yorkers a bigger picture view of where the most evictions are being filed. (City Limits)
• Andy Byford, New York's so-called "Train Daddy" who used to manage the MTA in New York City, is back with a new job with Amtrak. (New York City Patch)
• The Federal Aviation Administration is calling on Queens's international airports, along with others in the country, to improve their runway safety, following a string of close-call incidents in January. (Queens Patch)
• The Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Manhattan is holding a service on Saturday to apologize for slavery. "Perhaps less well-known are the roots and out branches of slavery and the exploitation of enslaved people by The Episcopal Church in New York City," reads a statement. (Upper West Side Patch)
• An "electric blowout" caused the fire in a Brooklyn DNA warehouse, the fire department is now saying. The warehouse was reportedly still being powered by a back-up generator some 1o years after its electric grid was damaged during Hurricane Sandy. (Gothamist)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• Chronic Foot Pain Center - Dr. Robert Kornfeld — (Visit website)
• Silver Stars Fitness — (Visit Website)
• Church of the Heavenly Rest — (Visit website)
• Add your business here

Featured events:

• 7 Day Headshot Special (March 24)
• The Women of New York Light Up Wall Street (March 24)
• Water Week Boat Tour: Ocean Stewardship from the Bronx to Brooklyn (March 24)
• Carl Dix: The Imperialist Proxy War over Ukraine & the Looming Danger of World War 3 (March 24)
• Humanist Happy Hour at Ethical (March 24)
• NYC Spring Market (March 26)
• The Kalief Browder Story: Talk and Screening w/ Akeem Browder (March 26)
• Opera Performance with Matthew Aucoin and Magdalena Kuźma (March 26)
• New Spiritual Concert to Celebrate Healing and the Arts With Music and Poetry (March 26)
• Free Pipe Organ Concert at Marble Church, Featuring Janet Yieh (March 27)
• Brothers Family Jam (March 29)
• Kids Easter Party Queens NY (April 9)
• Add your event

Featured announcements:

• NYC AI Summer Camp for Middle School Students (Details)
• Open Call for June Art Exhibition "Summer Show" (Details)
• Add your announcement

For sale:

• Available on Amazon and Kindle (Details)
• Add your item

Featured housing:

• 17 Bingham Ct, Rumson NJ 07760 (Details)
• Unique Triplex Condo (Details)
• Add your listing

Featured job listings:

• Personal Assistant for Older New Yorkers in Manhattan (Details)
• Add your job listing

Thanks for following along and staying informed! I'll be back in your inbox tomorrow morning with another update.

— Dashiell Allen

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