The Center for Brooklyn History Becomes Popular Platform for Storytelling
Marcia Ely, director of public programs at the Center for Brooklyn History, comes from a television background, which she sees as the same storytelling as program development. In 2020, the Brooklyn Historical Society merged with the Brooklyn Public Library to become CBH, leading to a push to democratize access to the institution. Beyond opening the library for public access, this mission drives Ely’s work: she designs programs with the issues Brooklynites care about today. One example is the launch of Pulitzer Prize winner Eugene Robinson’s new book, which drew an engaged audience on Feb. 3. Read more about her remarkable programs here.
Happy Wednesday in New York, where some of the city’s most talented animals have been showing out recently.
New York’s most prescient rodent, Staten Island Chuck, who has been wiping the floor with his better-known colleague Punxatawnee Phil since 1981, saw his shadow on Monday, portending six more brutal weeks of winter. And when Chuck speaks, we listen. The Delphian groundhog is riding an unbelievable 85% success rate. Not only does that blow Punxatawnee Phil’s measly 35% out of the water, but it is also the highest grade of any groundhog in the country. Call him the Stephen Curry of winter meteorology, because he simply doesn’t miss.
The stands were packed yesterday at Madison Square Garden for the 150th annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, in which 2,500 canines competed for the prestigious title of Best in Show. This year, the victory went to crowd-favorite Penny the Doberman pinscher, while Cota the Chesapeake Bay retriever won Runner Up. Congratulations to Penny and Cota, although I’m heartbroken for Cookie the Maltese, who was my choice to take home the W.
Meanwhile, Rattus norvegicus, also known as the brown rat, is doing what it does best: surviving. The prolonged sub-freezing temperatures have driven the normally prolific rodents into their burrows. It’s moments like these that the ingenuity and resilience of these hardened animals become apparent, as millions of rats find a way to beat the freeze — whether in train tunnels, sewers or even car engine blocks.
So what are we humans up to this week? Oh.
Governor Kathy Hochul picked onetime mayoral candidate and former City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams as her running mate in her re-election bid.
Attorney General Letitia James launched an initiative to monitor and document ICE’s actions in New York state.
Rep. Dan Goldman and Rep. Nydia Velázquez co-sponsored a bill that would mandate an initial health screening of anyone detained by ICE.
Brooklyn’s Arctic weather continues, with sub-freezing temperatures and the promise of more snow to come. See photos of the borough in winter.
Population growth in New York last year was stagnant as fewer immigrants moved in. The high cost of living was one of the major deterrents.
The latest Epstein emails show correspondence with Giants co-owner (and the NYPD commissioner’s cousin) Steve Tisch, in which Epstein seemingly set Tisch up with women. Tisch claims the two only ever discussed “adult women.”
Meanwhile, Jessica Tisch’s NYPD reported record-low gun violence across NYC in January 2026, logging the fewest shooting incidents, shooting victims and murders for any January in recorded city history.
City Council overrode vetoes from former Mayor Eric Adams on Jan. 31, clearing a street-vending package that expands licenses and tightens training and cleanliness rules after decades of capped permits.
Curtis Sliwa declared that next year, he will dress up as a groundhog and tell you if he sees his shadow.
The Brooklyn Mirage space is set to reopen in June as Pacha New York under a long-term agreement that gives FIVE Holdings operational control of the Brooklyn Mirage and The Great Hall complex.
Olympic soccer comes to Queens in 2028, with LA28 naming New York City FC’s planned Etihad Park as a host site for group-stage and knockout matches.
Our World In Photos
Photo: Yuki Iwamura/AP
NEW YORK — 10/10 for charisma, cuteness off the charts: George, an Australian terrier, competes in the terrier group competition of the 150th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in New York.
For more pictures like this, see Our World in Photos.
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl show is part of long play drawn up by NFL to score with Latin America
Bad Bunny accepts the award for album of the year for "Debí Tirar Más Fotos" during the 68th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, in Los Angeles. Photo: Chris Pizzello/AP
This year’s Super Bowl Halftime performer, Bad Bunny, is one of the top artists in the world. He performs primarily in Spanish and has been critical of immigration enforcement, which factored into the backlash in some conservative circles to the choice. Bad Bunny’s anti-ICE comments at this year’s Grammy Awards will have only stoked the ire of some conservatives.
But for the NFL hierarchy, this was likely a business decision, not a political one. The league has its eyes on expansion into Latin America; Bad Bunny, they hope, will be a ratings-winning means to an end. It has made such bets in the past. In 2020, Shakira and Jennifer Lopez were chosen to perform, with Bad Bunny making an appearance. The choice then, too, was seen as controversial.
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Cartoon Sketchbook
By Emad Hajjaj
For the Road
Date night: The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music is set to host a concert celebrating Valentine’s Day and Black History Month next week, with a live band playing classic standards and recent hits from Black artists and groups throughout the decades. “Forever Valentine: A Night of Black Love Songs” will involve dancing and features a cash bar. Learn more on our website.
Happy Birthday to N.Y. Giants legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor!
On This Day in 1951, the Eagle reported: “The spreading rail strike tied up food shipments to military bases today and forced the most drastic cut ever ordered on mail.”
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