🌱 Vax Mandate Concerns + Mayor's Trekkie Flub | NYC Daily Digest

Happy Friday New York City! Today is the deadline for the city's municipal workers to get their COVID-19 shots under a new mandate. Cops, firefighters and sanitation workers, among others, won't get paid if they haven't been jabbed before 5 p.m. Could this lead to dangerous staffing shortfalls? Get the details below.

First, today's weather:

A little afternoon rain. High: 57 Low: 53.

Here are the top stories in New York City today:

1. Mayor Bill de Blasio downplayed warnings of essential worker shortfalls. NYPD officers and FDNY firefighters who've resisted getting a vaccine will do so once they start losing paychecks, he said. (New York City Patch)
2. Meanwhile, de Blasio got a tribble-load of Trekkie trouble over his Halloween costume. Let's just say it didn't live long and prosper. (New York City Patch)
3. Do you use the new OMNY tap-to-pay system on the subway? Good news: its single rides could automatically turn into unlimited passes. (New York City Patch)
4. Meet Noodle. TikTok's most famous dog is making predictions from Upper Manhattan. (New York City Patch)
5. Even the Minions wouldn't support this villainy. A drug ring has been smuggling cocaine into NYC packed in kids' lunchboxes, according to investigators. (New York City Patch)

Today's New York City Daily is brought to you by our friends at Verizon. They're building the fastest 5G network in the country. To learn how 5G is going to change life for you and your community — and to get access to this amazing technology — click here. And thank you Verizon for sponsoring this community resource in New York City!

Today in New York City:

New York City Patch Notebook

• New York Giants: "Cruz reppin’ the limited-edition “Los Giants” @agniatelier collab " (Instagram)
• NYCgo: "Happy birthday to the Statue of Liberty. She turns 135 today but doesn't look a day over 34*. Head over to @StatueEllisFdn for info on Lady Liberty's history and ways you can help support this American icon.⁠ ⁠ * Which was her age in 192..." (Instagram)
• NYC Parks: "The view from the Highbridge Water Tower is spectacular in the fall. Tours of the building, newly reopened after a $5 million renovation, begin in November! : Views from the tower — @daniel.avila / NYC Parks; Highbridge Water Tower — ..." (Instagram)
• Central Park: "When you think of autumn in NYC, what comes to mind? For us tree enthusiasts, it’s obviously the sugar maple! An iconic tree for fall foliage, there are dozens of sugar maples in Central Park that turn a showstopping orange this time ..." (Instagram)
• Mayor Bill de Blasio: "We’re getting closer and closer to the day that New Yorkers 5-11 can get vaccinated against #COVID19. Join us at City Hall for more. #InManhattan" (Facebook)
• Bryant Park: "@bankofamerica #wintervillage 2018 and 2019. Almost ready to kick off Winter Village 2021 @colinmillerphoto" (Facebook)

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— Adam Nichols

About me: Adam Nichols is in charge of New York City coverage at Patch and currently oversees our 36 (and growing) neighborhoods in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. Previously he was Senior Editor at DNAinfo, helping build that website from inception into a leading local news source. Adam has worked at the New York Post, the New York Daily News and daily regional newspapers in the United Kingdom, as well as teaching a hyperlocal news course at Seton Hall University.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming New York City Daily? I'm all ears. You can contact me at Adam.Nichols@patch.com.