STORY 1
Just after 1:30 this afternoon, Officers from the NYPD entered Columbia University’s campus to break up a student-led protest calling for the school to divest from organizations and companies funding and profiting from Israel. Claire Davenport has more.
DAVENPORT’S PIECE PLAYS
STORY 2
April is national poetry month! And today is Poem in Your Pocket Day. New York’s — City Hall has asked staffers to get creative and write poems about their job. They’re even being encouraged to post their verses on social media. Asking staffers to take a break from managing the metropolis and channel their inner Langston Hughes, staffers are having a hard time seeing the rhyme or reason of the poetry celebration. Calling the exercise a waste of time, they’re asking city officials to remember they have a city to run.Â
STORY 3
And a restaurant in Park Slope is going ‘adults-only.’ Starting today, the new Brooklyn-based hot spot, Bar Louise, is urging customers to leave their kids at home. The decision was made after local residents felt they had no escape in the family-oriented neighborhood. Also, teachers wanted to clock in after school without worrying about running into their students. The new rule has happy hour starting at 3:30 to accommodate teachers' schedules. Teachers will also get 10% off their bill and a punch-card reward system for drinks.Â
STORY 4
A pilot program to install solar canopies over city-owned parking lots is underway. The City Council is set to announce the deciding vote on the initiative today ahead of Earth Day on April 22. New York City has generated more greenhouse gas emissions than it has in decades.   But the solar canopies are a solution because they help production of clean energy. If passed, New York would have two years to build the canopies, which would cover at least one parking lot in each of the five boroughs. The program would also have to install at least five electric vehicle chargers at each location.
STORY 5
And a new rat-related issue is on the rise. According to the city’s Health Department, a serious infection linked to rat urine is spreading. The disease is called leptospirosis. Symptoms include high fevers, body aches, red eyes, and abdominal pain. Reports say there have already been six confirmed cases in New York City this year and 24 last year. But the best way to prevent leptospirosis, according to the Health Department, is to avoid contact with rats. The health advisory says cases must be reported to the NYC Health Department within 24 hours. More information is available on the Health Department’s website.Â
Cristina Macaya, Columbia Radio News