Brooklyn Today: Is that Harriet Tubman on your $20 bill?

January 9, 2020 Brooklyn Today

Eat, drink and be merry on Franklin Street in Greenpoint. Eagle file photo by Lore Croghan

Greenpoint. Photo: Lore Croghan/Brooklyn Eagle

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THE LEDE: Good morning! A Brooklyn artist fed up with the Trump administration’s decision to delay a redesign of the $20 dollar bill with Harriet Tubman’s face is taking matters into her own hands.

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THE RUNDOWN

~ COULD ROLLING BACK BAIL REFORM CHANGE THE PLAN TO CLOSE RIKERS?: Advocates for closing Rikers and opening smaller borough-based jails are beginning to fret over the push to roll back some of the provisions of the bail law reforms that went into effect on Jan. 1, saying the contentious plan was carefully crafted using population estimates that included the impact of bail reform.

~ IN BROOKLYN, HARRIET TUBMAN IS ALREADY ON $20 BILLS: Dena Cooper, a freelance illustrator living in Bay Ridge, has begun stamping hundreds of $20 dollar bills with the face of the famous abolitionist. Cooper estimates that roughly 350 bills with Tubman’s face on it are in circulation around New York, Virginia, Michigan and California.

~ THOUSANDS TURN OUT FOR ELIZABETH WARREN AT HER FIRST BROOKLYN RALLY: The Kings Theatre’s 3,000 seats were filled to capacity Tuesday night as Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren took the stage, less than a month away from the first Democratic presidential primary election.

~ IS THAT SUBWAY ART? NO, IT’S THE MTA’S NEW ACCESSIBILITY EXPERIMENT.: The MTA is testing more than a dozen new ways to help disabled commuters at Brooklyn’s busy Jay St/MetroTech subway station, and the agency hopes riders will give them input on what works and what doesn’t.

~ WANT TO HUNT DINOSAURS WITHOUT LEAVING BROOKLYN? IN GOWANUS, YOU CAN.: At Gotham Archery in Gowanus, archers can brush up on their hunting skills or just aim at foam animal targets for fun when the winter weather keeps them inside.

~ ESCAPE THE CITY WITH A WINTER WALK AROUND SHIRLEY CHISHOLM STATE PARK: Have you seen East New York’s new park? It was named to honor the inspirational Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman to serve in Congress and first woman to seek the Democratic presidential nomination.

~ 18-YEAR-OLD WOUNDED IN DECEMBER SHOOTING DIES FROM INJURIES: An 18-year-old who was shot last month not far from Prospect Park has died from his injuries.

MORE BROOKLYN NEWS

~ Williamsburg Thai restaurant Noods n’ Chill is racking up great reviews. (Eater and Gothamist)

~ “It’s never been more expensive to live in Brooklyn’s trendiest neighborhood” (Business Insider)

~ Park Slope’s newest cafe Sip & Play features more than 200 board games. (Time Out)

STAFF PICKS

~ READ: “How the Pinellas Sheriff’s Office boosts its rape stats without solving cases” (Tampa Bay Times)

~ EAT: Here are New York City’s 18 best bagels, including four in Brooklyn. (Eater)

~ CARTOON: America’s next top nominee. (The New Yorker)

~ LIVE: Having a baby? Better break out the checkbook. An average delivery in America costs more than $4,500, according to a new study. (The Atlantic)

WHAT’S HAPPENING

7:00PM — Ada Calhoun presents “Why We Can’t Sleep” at Books Are Magic. Details.

7:00PM — Brooklyn Talks: Chani Nicholas and Tourmaline at Brooklyn Museum. Details.

7:30PM — Rachel Friedman at Greenlight Bookstore. Details.

THE WRAP

⌛ ON THIS DAY
In 1908, the Brooklyn Eagle reported, “Brooklyn burst forth into loud rejoicing over the opening of the Battery Tunnel today. A tremendous throng filled all the open space around the Borough Hall and crowded along the side streets to greet the official train that opened the tunnel.”

📔 IMPRINT
Selena Gomez graces the latest cover of WSJ Magazine.

👑 ROYAL WATCH
“Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to ‘Step Back’ From Royal Family” (NYT)

🏀 SPORTS
The Nets must fix these five things if they want to snap their seven-game losing streak. (The Athletic)

BIRTHDAYS

Happy birthday to Joan Baez, Imelda Staunton, Dave Matthews, J.K. Simmons, Kate Middleton, Joely Richardson, Mat Hoffman, Crystal Gayle, Sergio García, Muggsy Bogues, Nina Dobrev and Matt Bevin!