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Happy Thursday! In the era of online dating, everyone wants to know: What’s your type? If you’re anything like Secretary of State Marco Rubio, then your type is clear: serif-style with a high x-height and short descenders to allow for tight linespacing.
I’m talking, of course, about the highly contentious world of typefaces: the slight but important distinctions that separate one font family from another. On Tuesday, Rubio issued a memo to the State Department, which includes diplomats around the world, directing it to reverse a Biden administration decision that changed the department’s official typeface from Times New Roman to Calibri in an effort to make the lettering easier to read for people with dyslexia or poor vision.
In his memo, Rubio called the Biden-era switch a “wasteful” and “radical” DEI initiative resulting in the “degradation of the department’s official correspondence.” The original Times New Roman, according to the Secretary of State, will “restore decorum and professionalism to the Department’s written work products.”
In case you’re wondering, we use the Georgia font on the Daily Brief, which is a serif like Times New Roman. OMG — we’re Marco Rubio’s type!!
A first-of-its-kind investigation by the CITY found more than 14,200 housing code violations in New York City public housing units that are managed and maintained by private entities.
A Brooklyn-based technology entrepreneur was swept up in a federal case alleging a multimillion-dollar scheme to illegally export advanced Nvidia AI chips to China and Hong Kong.
Christmas can be challenging for people who have faced loss or sadness. Blue Christmas gives participants the opportunity to express their grief and heartbreak.
A Queens-based attorney is seeking to build an eight-story, 90-unit mixed-use building on a 22,000-square-foot Flatlands site, a rare infusion of affordable housing in one of the city’s lowest-producing districts.
The Walt Disney Company and OpenAI have reached an agreement for Disney to become the first major content licensing partner on Sora, OpenAI’s generative AI video platform.
A Brooklyn man is pleading for the release of his husband, who ICE detained during a routine Nov. 24 green card interview at 26 Federal Plaza.
Congressmember Dan Goldman (D-10) is sponsoring a bill that would restrict the Department of Homeland Security from arresting or detaining individuals in connection with appearances before immigration courts of the Executive Office for Immigration Review.
The Brooklyn Museum announced that it has added nearly 600 artworks in 2025, calling the acquisitions a significant expansion that strengthens holdings across its Asian, African, contemporary, feminist, design and photography collections.
Brooklyn FC, the borough’s first professional soccer club, has tapped Marlon LeBlanc to lead its inaugural men’s squad as the club prepares for its first USL Championship season in 2026.
Greenpoint’s Forma Pasta Factory was crowned America’s No. 1 Italian restaurant for delivery by DoorDash, despite initially planning not to offer takeout at all.
Our World In Photos
AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura
NEW YORK — ‘Tis the season for the international champion of consumerism — Santa: A person takes a picture of the window displays outside Macy's flagship store, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, in New York.
For more pictures like this, see Our World in Photos.
Shortlisted authors hold their new novels in hand at The Center for Fiction. Photo: Obed Obwoge.
The Brooklyn-based Center for Fiction (CFF), founded in 1821, held its annual First Novel Fête for first-time novelists at its Fort Greene location on Friday, Dec. 5. The gathering featured readings from the seven shortlisted authors of the CFF’s First Novel Prize, boosting the careers of first-time fiction novelists. Click here for more on the authors and the CFF tradition here.
🔎 Today’s Campaign
Lander runs for Congress
Outgoing Comptroller Brad Lander confirmed long-held suspicions yesterday when he announced he would launch a campaign to challenge moderate Democrat Rep. Dan Goldman for the 10th congressional district, which stretches from downtown Manhattan into Northern Brooklyn.
Brad Lander launched himself onto the national stage earlier this year during his primary race for mayor. He made headlines across the country in September when he was forcefully arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents while accompanying immigrants to court at 26 Federal Plaza. Lander also received national attention for his cross-endorsement with Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani in July, capped by the two embracing on the day Mamdani won the Democratic primary.
By the end of the day yesterday, Lander had consolidated the support of the party’s left wing, including endorsements from the Working Families Party, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sen. Bernie Sanders. Brooklyn City Council member Alexa Avilés, who was also considering a primary challenge to Rep. Goldman, quickly reversed her candidacy.
Most crucially, Lander won the endorsement of Mamdani. After a super-charged cross-endorsement that saw Lander and Mamdani appear on talk shows, podcasts and campaign rallies side-by-side, their relationship appeared to fracture following Mamdani’s victory in the primary. Reports surfaced a couple of months ago that Mamdani was irritated by Lander’s open attempts to secure the position of first-deputy mayor, followed by the announcement that he would not consider a spot for Lander in his administration.
There was some speculation that Mamdani might throw his support behind Avilés, a fellow-member of the Democratic Socialists of America, but the mayor-elect ultimately remained loyal to his former campaign partner — a move that the New York Times dubbed a “strategic uncoupling.” “[Lander] has been a trusted ally and partner of mine and I’m proud to support him as I know he’ll continue delivering for those who need government to show up for them the most,” Mamdani wrote in a statement yesterday.
“Our mayor can have an ally in Washington instead of an adversary in his own backyard,” Lander said in his campaign announcement video.
In the video, Lander took shots at Goldman’s vocal support for Israel and his deep-pocketed donors. “The challenges we face can’t be solved with strongly worded letters or high-dollar fundraisers, and not by doing AIPAC’s bidding,” Lander said. A spokesperson for Rep. Goldman responded to the video by saying that Goldman is “proud of his progressive record in Congress and will deal with Brad and other challengers in the new year.”
Lander escalated his attacks on Goldman during a campaign launch party at Nitehawk Cinema in Park Slope last night. “Only I, of the two of us, recognize that Netanyahu’s leveling of schools and hospitals and the destruction of Gaza was a war crime,” Lander told the assembled crowd of supporters. “New Yorkers understand the difference between elected officials who say they believe everyone's lives are equal and those who actually act like everyone's lives are equal.”
A September poll by Data for Progress found Lander defeating Goldman by 19 points in a potential primary matchup.
The Mini
Cartoon Sketchbook
Bad News for Santa by Bob Englehart
For the Road
Chorus Time: The historic Plymouth Church in Brooklyn Heights will continue its 93-year-old Lessons & Carols service on Sunday, Dec. 14. The Plymouth Choir and music director Raymond Trapp invite members of the wider community to pause during the busy season to experience hope, peace and joy through choral music, songs and readings. Learn more here.
Happy Birthday to former mayor Fiorello La Guardia, who was born in 1882.
On This Day in 1946, the Eagle reported, “The Boys’ Club of New York, century-old organization helping east-side youth, will collect the proceeds of a special presentation of Liberty Films’ RKO Radio-released feature, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’ on Friday, Dec. 20, at the Globe Theater.”
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