🌱 Weed Sales Legal In NJ + NYC Traffic Deaths Rise In 2022

Good morning New York City! Today is the first day you can legally buy weed in New Jersey, and NYC might finally be getting trash off the streets. Here's all the news you need to know to get the day started right.

First, today's weather:

Partly sunny and breezy. High: 60 Low: 51.

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

1. As of Thursday, the sale of recreational cannabis has been fully legalized in the state of New Jersey, for both residents and visitors–including New Yorkers–alike. But what's the catch? It's still considered a federal offense to transport marijuana across state lines, including across the Hudson River. While it is technically legal to consume weed in New York, it can't yet be sold recreationally. (New York City Patch)
2. NYC came one step closer to shedding its nickname “trash city” on Wednesday, with the introduction of garbage disposal containers, that would give New Yorkers somewhere other than the street to toss their trash bags. The pilot program gets its start in Times Square, but is set to expand city-wide. (New York City Patch)
3. Traffic deaths were up 44 percent in the first three months of 2022, claiming 59 lives, according to recently published data. One of those deaths was 99-year-old Holocaust survivor Jack Mikulincer. (New York City Patch)
4. Top officials in charge of Rikers Island ditched meetings meant to address how to ease the notorious jail's humanitarian crisis, according to a letter written by U.S. Attorney Damian Williams. The attorney contends that officials have been reluctant to take any meaningful action on reforming the facility, suggesting it might need federal control (New York City Patch)
5. Drink Up, Brooklyn! Park Slope's Winner's Bakery is planning to open an outpost in the Prospect Park Picnic House that will serve alcohol. "Winner in The Park" is expected to open its doors in early May. (New York City Patch)

New York City Pic of the day:

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Today in New York City:

• Wacoal Fit for the Cure Event at the Saks on Fifth Ave (10:00 AM)
• Stündenglass Social "Gravity Smoked Lemonade Stand" at Higher Standards Chelsea Market (12:00 PM)
• Scarsdale Adult School Offers Theatrical NYC Walking Tour with Film Noir Comedy Twist! (1:00 PM)
• BALAM Dance Theatre Debuts 'Garden of Love in Miniature’ at GEMS Midtown Concerts –the free performance is available both online and in-person (1:15 PM)
• German Patriots: Jewish Germans During WWI, at The Museum of Jewish Heritage (2:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Two individuals, that police say were homeless, died after being hit fatally by a 3 train in Brownsville on Wednesday morning, near the Sutter Avenue-Rutland Road station. (New York City Patch)
• New York Jets football player Vinny Curry is back on the team after missing last season due to a rare blood condition. (Instagram)
• New Jersey might have done it first, but Mayor Adams is already taking steps in preparation for when the sale of recreational marijuana becomes legal in NYC. (Instagram)

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Events:

• Seven Acres Montessori Virtual Admissions Event (April 21)
• Success Academy Bronx 1, Virtual Information Session (April 21)
• Success Academy Bronx 3, Virtual Information Session (April 21)
• First NYS Licensed Esthetic School to open in Westhchester in almost two decades (April 21)
• Join the Cigarette Butts and Vape Waste Campaigh (April 21)
• New York International Antiquarian Book Fair (April 22)
• WEBINAR: Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Investing: Incorporating Values into Portfolios (April 22)
• Success Academy Bronx 4, Virtual Information Session (April 22)
• 4/22-23 Earth Day Build the Canopy in Hell’s Kitchen (April 22)
• 50% off Discount tickets - Friars Club Comedy Night (April 22)
• NYC Friday Taurus Midnight Yacht Party Cruise at Skyport Marina Jewel (April 22)
• Home Furniture & Office Furniture Liquidation Sale (April 23)
• Earth Day Events 4/22-23 to Foster Our Tree Canopy in Hell's Kitchen (April 23)
• OHM Center's Free Book Event: A Story of Karma with Michael Schauch (April 23)
• NYC Hip Hop vs Reggae® Saturday Midnight Cruise Skyport Marina Jewel Yacht (April 23)
• 2022 Harlem Culture Crawl - Architecture, Historic Houses, Museums, Art Openings, Performances (April 24)
• 2022 NYC Virtual Kindergarten Fair (April 25)
• Learn to Make and Sell Your Own Essential Oil Blends (April 25)
• African American Communities and Gentrification: Strategies for Change (April 25)
• The Indie Collaborative Celebrates Earth Day at Carnegie Hall (April 25)
• National Hug A Plumber Day (April 25)
• Meet Your Neighbor Dinner: Earth Day (April 26)
• How to read a DEXA scan (April 27)
• Yom HaShoah Commemoration (April 27)
• Building Empathy in a Fractured World (April 27)
• Spanish for Beginners Adult Class- Get FREE Assessment & Demo (May 3)
• Urban Assembly SEL Symposium 2022 (Virtual) (May 5)
• Mother's Day Hike in Central Park (May 8)
• Attend a free speech about NY personal injury lawyers' benefits (May 21)
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Announcements:

• Realtor servicing ALL of NJ (Details)
• Behind The Scoreboard – Uglies Who Did Good (Details)
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• Capital Prep Schools is Hiring! (Details)
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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Thursday! See you tomorrow morning for your next update.

— Dashiell Allen