The MTA has requested that the City and State of New York fund its newly shrunken deficit of $9.8 billion. Chairman Thomas Pendergast sent a letter to City and State officials yesterday asking for an additional $200 million annually for the next five years (in addition to an already-determined $125 million annually the city agreed to in May) as well as $1.5 billion for the yet-intangible Second Avenue Subway. Upon review of the letter, politicians remain weary of the proposal, noting the organization’s crippling debt yet unable to deny its vitality. (Gothamist)
Some 120 flights were delayed at LaGuardia Airport this morning due to a power outage in Terminal C, leaving manu Delta fliers trapped in the city. Service resumed around 10:30 a.m. with residual delays, to the dismay of many travelers. Too bad the Port Authority-sanctioned LaGuardia redesign is still years in the making. (New York Post)
If the recent coyote sightings didn’t rile Manhattanites up enough, say hello to the city’s newest visitor: a small alligator sighted on 9th Avenue in Inwood. The 34th Precinct of the NYPD announced the sighting on Twitter, receiving a slew of bewildered responses. One read, “I think that might be a crocodile,” to which the NYPD replied, “Then it makes much more sense that he’d be on 9th. That’s more of a crocodile hangout than an alligator spot…” (The New York Times)
In light of the city’s failed attempt to put a cap on Uber (UBER), City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito has blasted Mayor de Blasio’s attempt to “save face” over the deal. Ms. Mark-Viverito, who was among the earliest backers of the Mayor’s 2013 mayoral campaign, chided him for suggesting his proposal to cap the number of Uber cars on the street was still “on the table” for the council. “Let me say this: I’m not going to allow anyone to attempt to save face at the expense of this Council,” she said. “This Council decides what bills we need to discuss, what debates we will have, what will be taken off the table, what will be put on the table. No one else leads that discussion, no one else influences that discussion.” (Observer)
Kimberly Rousseau, the 18-year-old girlfriend of Brooklyn rapper Bobby Shmurda, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of giving him a shank hidden in her bra while on a visit to his cell on Rikers Island. The 20-year-old rapper is being held on $2 million bail for his alleged involvement in a street gang responsible for shootings and selling drugs, and faces up to seven years behind bars. (Daily News)