Last days of the dining sheds

Plus: California is "Trump-proofing." Should New York? [View this email in a browser.]( Gothamist relies on your support to make local news available to all. Not yet a member? [Consider donating and join today.]( [NYC's roadway dining sheds must come down Friday]( [first image]( [Today's newsletter curated by James Ramsay]( Weather: ⛅ Mostly sunny today, with highs in the lower 50s and [rain starting after midnight](. It's Wednesday in New York City, where about 8,000 permitted roadway dining sheds popped up at some point since the start of the pandemic. But come Friday, all sheds need to be taken down — and it's not clear how many will pop back up in the spring. [Here's what outdoor dining enthusiasts can expect to see next year](. And here's what else is happening: - A New York doctor at the center of a Gothamist [investigation]( and [podcast series]( into allegations of medical malpractice spanning decades [will not face misconduct charges]( after a state inquiry into him and two other doctors found “insufficient evidence” of wrongdoing. - Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who's reportedly considering a run for New York City mayor, has joined a legal team defending Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu [against international war crime charges](. - New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer says he’s asking Congress for [tens of millions of dollars in security funding]( to protect the state during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. - A whale was [spotted in the East River]( on Monday near the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges. - A Vietnam veteran who [spent almost eight years in prison for a rape he didn’t commit]( is suing Westchester County, the town of Greenburgh and several people he says played a role in his wrongful arrest and incarceration. - The [FBI is investigating]( a Queens pastor and a PAC he created to support Mayor Eric Adams' agenda, according to the New York Times. - The city [needs more]( apartments. - The city has [gotten more]( self-storage places. - Rudy Giuliani [lashed out at a judge]( in court this yesterday after being pressed about why he still hasn't turned over his Mercedes convertible to the Georgia election workers he defamed. - The MTA is considering [flying drones over city buses]( at depots and along their routes as a way to collect insights. - If tomorrow doesn't turn out to be [everything you'd hope for]( there's always Thanksgiving II. - Here's [what Thanksgiving will look like]( for Diddy this year. - Deplaning — [yikes]( [“It's hard to imagine anything more sordid than our disgraced former governor teaming up with Donald Trump's impeachment lawyer to defend a war criminal, but apparently this is the company Andrew Cuomo wants to keep.”]( - State Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, a Queens Democrat who is running for mayor, on [CUOMO'S DECISION TO JOIN NETANYAHU'S DEFENSE TEAM]( More from Gothamist [second image]( [California is ‘Trump-proofing’ before Inauguration Day. Will New York do the same?]( While California gears up for a special session, New York state lawmakers aren’t rushing back to Albany. [Prank calls make up half of requests to NYC subway's 'Help Point' intercoms, report says]( Half of the roughly 140,000 calls made through the agency’s network of 3,000 help boxes from May through October of last year were “mischief calls,” or people spamming the system. [We Rely On Your Support]( [Can you pack that? NYC travelers’ guide to TSA’s weirdest Thanksgiving carry-on rules]( Handcuffs and live lobsters are a yes. Creamy cheese and bear spray are a no. [Got houseguests this week? Take them to these non-touristy NYC places.]( Here are our recommendations for how to take advantage of Thanksgiving in New York, when parts of the city are unbelievably quiet while others are starting to see their holiday crush of tourist crowds. [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Twitter]( [New York Public Radio] [WNYC]( | [WQXR]( | [NJPR]( | [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( | [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. All rights reserved. 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013 [TERMS OF USE]( You can update your [PREFERENCES]( or [UNSUBSCRIBE]( from this list.