Happy Wednesday in New York City! After enjoying their first traditional snow day since 2019 on Monday, public school students across the city laced up their snow boots yesterday and trudged back to school… except for the ones who didn’t.
Due to the snowy conditions, hundreds of thousands of students missed class yesterday. Attendance citywide was at 63%, with many outer borough schools clocking substantially lower numbers. 12,000 teachers called in absent as well, leading to more confusion. One Queens parent told Gothamist that her daughter spent the day in a mass study hall in the auditorium due to a deficiency of teachers.
For those who did try to make it in, navigating the city’s perilous streets was a challenge. Deep snowbanks, icy sidewalks, stuck buses, suspended trains, snowed-in bus stops and blocked crosswalks turned a routine commute to school into an episode of America’s Best Ninja Warrior.
“I’ve got teachers telling me the staff absences outweigh the sub headcount, and no shortage of hellish commutes for parents, kids, and teachers,” Brooklyn City Councilmember Kayla Santosuosso posted on X.
Much of the blame for the breakdown fell at the feet of Mayor Mamdani, who insisted reopening schools was a necessary measure. The mayor argued that students who are just returning from winter break do not have their personal devices available for remote learning. He also pointed out that schools provide crucial meal options and childcare for families.
“When conditions are safe, our goal will always be to open our schools,” Mamdani said at a Tuesday press conference.
You know what they say: If you can make it to homeroom here, you can make it to homeroom anywhere.
The MTA warned transit riders to expect continuing delays and service changes on MTA trains across New York City, especially on above-ground lines.
Kings County inducted its first Black, openly LGBTQ+ justice, Hon. Norma Jean Jennings, to the Supreme Court of the State of New York.
Gov. Kathy Hochul called on the Trump administration to refund roughly $13.5 billion in tariffs paid by New York residents, following the Supreme Court’s recent decision invalidating the tariffs. Hochul said the average New York household took on an estimated $1,751 in added costs since the tariffs were enacted.
State Sen. Andrew Gounardes is set to chair a joint legislative budget hearing on taxes on Thursday, with a focus on proposals to close loopholes that benefit corporations and the wealthy.
Two of Texas’ top barbecue pitmasters combined forces to open Kirbee’s in Greenpoint, showcasing the two pitmasters’ different BBQ approaches.
The fifth annual Myrtle Avenue Restaurant Week returns to eateries throughout Fort Greene and Clinton Hill, offering three-course pre-fixe menus from Friday, Feb. 20 to Sunday, March 1.
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Our World In Photos
Photo: Evan Vucci/AP
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Secret Service agent tugs at his coat to hide the heavy hardware — probably a machine gun — keeping away intruders: First Lady Melania Trump and President Donald Trump are seated in their motorcade on the South Lawn of the White House, before traveling to the Capitol where President Trump will give the State of the Union address, Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2026, in Washington.
For more pictures like this, see Our World in Photos.
Brooklyn Ballet’s spring 2026 season reflects Brooklyn’s cultural identity
Alexis Diggs in rehearsal. Photo: Brooklyn Ballet
In a borough known for disciplines such as street dance and hip-hop, the traditional form of ballet can feel out of step with Brooklyn’s rhythm. This dissonance is why Lynn Parkerson, founder and artistic director of the Brooklyn Ballet, has spent more than two decades shaping the centuries-old art form to reflect Brooklyn’s unique cultural spark.
Between the lack of women working behind the scenes in ballet and limited funding and support for artists, Parkerson realized the best way to pave a path for ballet was to fill a void. Brooklyn, despite being a burgeoning cultural center at the time, lacked an important, though often inaccessible, dance community: ballet.
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By Dave Whamond
For the Road
Nature in the raw: Local resident Michael Kilfoyle was walking with his girlfriend through the snow past Cadman Plaza Park on Sunday around 2 p.m., “When we saw something that I thought was amazing,” he told the Brooklyn Eagle. In the Downtown Brooklyn park, on the wall by the Juneteenth Grove entrance, Kilfoyle caught sight of a magnificent bird of prey. “It was feasting on, judging by the blood and feathers on the ground, a poor, unlucky pigeon,” Kilfoyle said. “I think it’s an incredibly rare sight.” Learn more about his unique observation.
Happy Birthday to “Parks and Recreation” star Rashida Jones!
On This Day in 1880, the Eagle reported: “By and by, perhaps, the astronomer of the future will be able to predict the price of silk, real estate and curry powder by a careful computation of the spots on the sun, and tell upon what day the grain market will weaken or railroad stocks move upward. Such vaticinations are not yet reliable, but others are.”
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