🌱 Monkeypox Is An 'Imminent Threat' + Man Mugged Outside LIC Bodega

Hey, friends! I'm back with your new copy of the Queens Daily. Let's get this Friday started off right, with a quick dive into everything you need to know about what's going on in town...

First, today's weather:

Variable cloudiness. High: 88 Low: 72.

Here are the top three stories in Queens today:

1. New York health commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett declared monkeypox an imminent threat to public health. The statement comes as the virus has spread rapidly across the state and especially in the New York City area. An additional 110,000 doses of the monkeypox vaccine have arrived in the state from the federal government in order to stem the spread of the virus. Click the link to see the full statement and more details. (Spectrum News NY1)
2. Three men were caught on surveillance camera mugging a man and stealing his e-bike on Tuesday. The 23-year-old was leaving a bodega on 14th Street in Long Island City when he was grabbed off his bike. The man was first hit with a small object, and then a full beer bottle was cracked over the victim's head. The victim was treated at Mount Sinai Queens after suffering cuts and bruises. Click the link to see the harrowing footage. (New York Daily News)
3. NYPD Officials say that the remains found in a backyard in Jamaica have been identified. According to police, the body has been identified as Gloria Lee, a 54-year-old Brooklyn woman who had been reported missing in October. The body was found just about a year ago in July of 2021. Police are investigating the death as a homicide. (Gothamist)

Today in Queens:

• DJ Smokey at JACX&CO (6:00 PM)
• Free Shakespeare in the Park: Pericles at Voelker Orth Museum (7:00 PM)
• Hudson Horns at Culture Lab LIC (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Queens Botanical Garden invites you to an art crawl. Next Thursday, Aug. 4, guests are invited to AMPLIFY, an interactive tour with activities, music, and a garden bar. Click the link to register and learn more. (Queens Botanical Garden via Facebook)
• Queens Chamber of Commerce thanked everyone who came out to Bourbon Street New York on Wednesday. Click the link to see photos from the event. (Queens Chamber of Commerce via Facebook)
• Cat servers have been deployed to deliver your dim sum. The robot wait staff have been spotted in restaurants in Brooklyn and in Queens, and cost about as much as a mid-value car. (Eater NY)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed. I'll see you around!

— Miranda Fraraccio

About me: Miranda Fraraccio is a born and raised Rhode Islander, now living in New York. She works as a staff writer for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and is a graduate of The University of Rhode Island, where she earned a degree in Writing & Rhetoric and Communication Studies. In her free time, you can find her traveling, drinking tea, or photographing her neighborhood as a street photographer.