Happy Friday in New York, where a major summit just took place in the middle of the Hudson River off 72nd Street.
Six bald eagles were spotted congregating on an ice floe yesterday, a seasonal détente among one of the state’s most iconic avian species. The reason is clear: the annual meeting of the six families. Each winter, the heads of the notorious Birduzzios, Fisherellis, Featherinos, Wingettis, Beakeros and of course, the tight-winged Baldinnis, gather to hash out territorial disputes over prime fishing waters, negotiate revenue distribution from the salmon waste management operation and decide how to handle the birds who “turn seagull” by cooperating with the Fish & Wildlife Administration. Sources say Don Raptony made Don Talonardo an offer he couldn’t refuse.
Of course, this is all conjecture. What do you think the six bald eagles were doing on that ice floe? Send in your best prediction to [email protected].
–Jesse Goodman
What exactly is in those rock-hard piles of crud-covered snow lining city streets? A Gothamist reporter, armed with a bucket, a small scoop and a pair of rubber gloves, collected samples of snow — the results are not pretty.
Mark Anderson, 36, of Minnesota, has been indicted by a grand jury for allegedly attempting to pose as an FBI agent to break Luigi Mangione out of the Metropolitan Detention Center in Sunset Park.
The Bay Ridge Holiday House, known for outlandish holiday decorations, is back for Valentine’s Day. According to the home’s owner and decorator, it’s the hardest holiday to decorate for.
Brooklyn Bridge Park will host a walk and discussion about Brooklyn’s history in the abolitionist movement, as part of the New York City Parks Department’s celebration of Black History Month.
Terrence Rogers, 35, of Bushwick, was sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to sex trafficking of a child and recruiting multiple victims to engage in sexual conduct for money.
New York City has recorded more than 146,000 positive flu cases so far this respiratory virus season, with over 1,700 lab-reported cases last week. It’s the first weekly increase since late December.
Police are searching for three unidentified men who broke into the driver’s-side window of a car in Sheepshead Bay and stole a suitcase containing $120,000 worth of jewelry.
Brooklyn Public Library released an immigration-themed reading list, “In Celebration of Immigrants and Immigration,” curated by librarians. It includes works for kids, teens and adults.
What frigid temps? The Merchants of Third Avenue announced dates for the 14th annual Summer Stroll on Third in Bay Ridge.
Our World In Photos
Photo: George Walker IV/AP
NASHVILLE — Gimme the ball, gimme the ball, gimme the ball: Texas guard Aaliyah Crump, center, battles Vanderbilt forward Sacha Washington, left, and guard Aubrey Galvan, right, for the ball during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn.
For more pictures like this, see Our World in Photos.
For Elizabeth Hénaff, the Gowanus Canal is a problem, a lab and an artspace
Elizabeth Henaff reads data from a Gowanus water sample. Photo: Nicole Vergalla
Elizabeth Hénaff, a professor at NYU Tandon, keeps a jar of Gowanus sludge in her office. The Gowanus Canal is an EPA Superfund site and one of the country’s most polluted waterways due to a legacy of industrial use and sewer runoff.
Hénaff started studying the microbiome of the Gowanus Canal after the EPA’s invasive remediation process was announced. Last year, her team did a genetic study of the canal, collecting samples via canoe with the Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club, and found a thriving community of microbes that have evolved to break down the canal’s pollution.
The Mini
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Cartoon Sketchbook
By Rick McKee
For the Road
Give back: New York Cares offers several ways to give back this Valentine’s weekend, including upcycling flowers, helping at a dance for older adults, delivering meals and more. Get more information on our website.
Happy Birthday to Space Shuttle astronaut Stephen Bowen!
On This Day in 1854, the Eagle reported: “Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. On the eventful morrow, according to legendary lore, all the birds of the air go a wooing, and choose their matrimonial companions for better or for worse.”
Got a tip? Send it in to [email protected].