Happy Wednesday in New York City, where the mountains of grime-streaked snow and snow-dusted grime may not be long for this world.
It’s been a brutal, historic cold spell. Eighteen people died of exposure on the streets during the freeze, while seven more were found dead inside their homes. The city logged a record number of complaints about faulty heating and hot water systems in January, while National Grid struggled to provide an unprecedented volume of natural gas statewide, sending utility bills soaring. Even the city’s notoriously indestructible rats lost population numbers due to the cold.
But we are in the endgame now. After the storm and deep freeze comes the thaw, and with the Arctic winds retreating out to the Atlantic, and the planet continuing its gradual tilt toward spring, temperatures are finally rising. The daily high will crack 40℉ in some regions of the city today for the first time in weeks.
Don’t expect the transition to be seamless. NYC Emergency Management warns that New Yorkers should brace for falling sheets of melting ice from rooftops, corrosive saltwater seeping into underground electrical equipment, wet sidewalks refreezing into slippery ice patches overnight and a host of other thaw-related hazards.
Still, I think New Yorkers will gladly accept the risks. After weeks of single-file shuffling on the sidewalks, we are desperate for the lateral freedom to overtake a slow walker without trodding through a snowbank.
Two police helicopters, along with boats from the FDNY and NYPD, were circling the East River just south of the Brooklyn Bridge on Wednesday morning in a possible search effort for a person in the water.
Students and staff from Poly Prep Country Day School brought in and packed food and produce then dropped them off at One Love Community Fridge locations throughout the borough on Feb. 7.
Feb. 26 is the Brooklyn edition of New York City’s first-ever “Rental Ripoff Hearings,” a series of public hearings, one in each borough, where residents are invited to share their rental issues, from mold, broken appliances and unsafe construction conditions to hidden fees and surprise charges.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani is rescinding an Adams-era rule that would have required people to prove they’d been on the streets or in and out of shelters for at least six months before they could qualify for a safe haven bed.
Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delagado ended his campaign for governor on Feb. 10, removing the most prominent Democratic challenger to Gov. Kathy Hochul as she seeks re-election.
Brooklyn Community Board 1 approved the controversial Monitor Point Development — 1,150 unit, mixed-use waterfront development — on Tuesday night.
Brooklynite Raul Lopez created the powder blue dress Lady Gaga wore onstage at the Super Bowl halftime performance. But he only found out who he designed it for when the dancers parted on screen. “I just screamed,” he said.
A homeowner in the Rockaways says he pays more in property taxes than former Mayor Bill de Blasio pays on two Park Slope houses worth millions more.
Our World In Photos
Photo: Hassan Ammar/AP
MILAN — ‘Come one, come all’ to the Winter Olympics: A woman feeds pigeons as they gather around her in Piazza del Duomo, with the Duomo cathedral in the background, during the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026.
For more pictures like this, see Our World in Photos.
After eight years of service, what’s next for ex-Councilmember Justin Brannan?
Brannan is credited with securing more than $350 million in public investments and advancing major capital projects. Photo: Justin Brannan
Former City Councilmember Justin Brannan declared that he is “not going anywhere” in a recent social media post reflecting on his eight-year tenure as District 47’s representative.
As for what’s on the horizon, Brannan told the Brooklyn Eagle that he plans to grow old serving the city. “I have no intentions of closing up shop and selling the farm just yet.”
“I plan to grow old serving this city,” Brannan told the Eagle. Read on to see what’s in store for the Bay Ridge native.
The Mini
Our solver finished in 42 seconds. Can you beat it?
Cartoon Sketchbook
By Steve Sack
For the Road
Shutter shock: A corner wine bar at 148 Noble St. in Greenpoint, The Noble, has shut down for good as its co-owner looks to hand off the space to a new operator. Learn more about the closure here.
Happy Birthday to “Friends” star Jennifer Aniston!
On This Day in 1926, the Eagle reported: “Doomsman Robert Reidt kindly puts off the end of the world to February 14. Fine! If a jazz civilization should see its finish on St. Valentine’s Day all the proprieties would be observed.”
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