Happy Friday in New York City, where come June, flag-waving fans from all over the globe will descend on the city to see their national team play in the FIFA World Cup… except for the Italians.
Italy’s national soccer team wears four stars on its jersey, representing the country’s four World Cup victories. It’s a point of civic pride for a country utterly obsessed with soccer. But a series of crushing disappointments has quickly turned into a national nightmare as Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive time, losing to Bosnia and Herzegovina — the 66th-ranked Balkan country now making its second-ever appearance at a World Cup — in a penalty shootout.
The last time Italy qualified for the World Cup was in 2014. The iPhone 6 had just been released. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were celebrating their honeymoon. I was probably trying to untangle my wired headphones.
This latest disaster sent shockwaves across Italy on Tuesday. It was the first item on the Italian Parliament’s agenda and on the front page of every newspaper. Italy’s soccer federation president Gabriele Gravina resigned yesterday, followed by national team delegation chief Gianluigi Buffon and coach Gennaro Gattuso. It is being described by Italian journalists as a “third apocalypse” and a “sporting tragedy.”
However bad your work is going today, it can’t be as bad as that. Consider it a shot of Schadenfreude for your gray Friday afternoon.
Students who logged into Naviance, used for college applications, at least once between August 18, 2021, and January 23, 2026, may be entitled to a payment as a result of a class action settlement over data privacy violations.
City council proposed leasing vaults under the Brooklyn Bridge to help close $6 billion budget gap. The spaces could yield an estimated $17 million annually, but the plan already faces opposition.
Yesterday, NYC officials celebrated the completion of a $24 million snow operations and composting facility in Gowanus. The center can store 6 million pounds of road salt and process 600,000 pounds of compost each year.
The FDA expanded a recall on 16 Trader Joe’s products after glass shards were found in the food. At least one Brooklyn customer reported having consumed the product before learning of the recall.
One lane of the southbound Brooklyn-Queens Expressway in the Fulton Ferry area will be closed for four upcoming weekends, likely starting mid-May.
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Our World In Photos
Photo: Matilde Campodonico/AP
URUGUYA — Riding a horse or getting chucked off a horse? A "gaucho," or cowboy, rides a horse during the Criolla Week rodeo festival, an annual festival held during Holy Week, in Montevideo, Uruguay, Thursday, April 2, 2026.
For more pictures like this, see Our World in Photos.
Brooklyn-based New York Times columnist Michelle Goldberg prophesized our political moment
Michell Goldberg, journalist, author and opinion columnist for the New York Times. Photo: Earl Wilson
Michelle Goldberg is something of a political prophet. As a journalist, author and opinion columnist for the New York Times, she’s been warning the public about the rise of authoritarianism in the United States for longer than most.
“I’ve always thought it was fascism,” she told the Brooklyn Eagle.
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By Dave Whamond
For the Road
Batter up! The Brooklyn Cyclones announced its 2026 opening-day roster, a 30-player group headlined by three top prospects as the franchise marks its 25th season. The Cyclones host the Hudson Valley Renegades at Maimonides Park on April 3 at 6:40 p.m. The contest is the first Fri-YAY Drink Deal of the season, with postgame fireworks to follow. Learn more about this season’s players.
Happy Birthday to “Beverly Hills Cop” star Eddie Murphy!
On This Day in 1933, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Mt. Everest, highest mountain in the world, was crossed by airplane today for the first time in history.”
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