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| N.Y. Today: The Power Plant Explosion and the Shocking Blue Glow | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| [Want to get New York Today by email? Here's the sign-up.] | [Want to get New York Today by email? Here's the sign-up.] |
| It’s Friday. | It’s Friday. |
| Weather: Something for everyone: buckets of warmish rain today with a high of 57, sunny on Saturday, cold on Sunday, raw and rainy New Year’s Eve. | Weather: Something for everyone: buckets of warmish rain today with a high of 57, sunny on Saturday, cold on Sunday, raw and rainy New Year’s Eve. |
| Alternate-side parking: in effect till New Year’s Day. | Alternate-side parking: in effect till New Year’s Day. |
| For a few minutes last night, it seemed as if the world was ending. | For a few minutes last night, it seemed as if the world was ending. |
| Around 9:12 p.m., the sky over New York City turned several shades of bright fluorescent blue. There was smoke and a loud hum. People freaked out on social media, wondering if aliens had invaded. La Guardia Airport went dark. | Around 9:12 p.m., the sky over New York City turned several shades of bright fluorescent blue. There was smoke and a loud hum. People freaked out on social media, wondering if aliens had invaded. La Guardia Airport went dark. |
| The culprit turned out to be an explosion at a Con Edison plant in Queens. Miraculously, there were no injuries, except perhaps to the feelings of those who truly wanted to meet some aliens. | The culprit turned out to be an explosion at a Con Edison plant in Queens. Miraculously, there were no injuries, except perhaps to the feelings of those who truly wanted to meet some aliens. |
| [Read the full story on the explosion.] | [Read the full story on the explosion.] |
| Times reporters will be following the story all day, so check back for updates. | Times reporters will be following the story all day, so check back for updates. |
| For now, here’s what we know: | For now, here’s what we know: |
| • The cause: Mayor Bill de Blasio said the light was caused by an “electrical surge” at a Con Ed substation in Astoria, at the northern tip of Queens. | • The cause: Mayor Bill de Blasio said the light was caused by an “electrical surge” at a Con Ed substation in Astoria, at the northern tip of Queens. |
| A Con Edison spokesman, Bob McGee, said early this morning: “What people were seeing was an electric arc flash. The electrical arc of that magnitude is similar to a thunder and lightning event.” The sound people heard was “the arc striking the ground.” | A Con Edison spokesman, Bob McGee, said early this morning: “What people were seeing was an electric arc flash. The electrical arc of that magnitude is similar to a thunder and lightning event.” The sound people heard was “the arc striking the ground.” |
| The Police Department described it, bluntly, as a “transformer explosion.” The reason for the explosion remained unclear this morning. The authorities have not mentioned any possible contamination from the blast. | The Police Department described it, bluntly, as a “transformer explosion.” The reason for the explosion remained unclear this morning. The authorities have not mentioned any possible contamination from the blast. |
| • The impact: Power was shut down at La Guardia Airport, near the plant, for about 45 minutes and flights were grounded. A few dozen homes briefly lost power. | • The impact: Power was shut down at La Guardia Airport, near the plant, for about 45 minutes and flights were grounded. A few dozen homes briefly lost power. |
| The No. 7 subway line was partly, and briefly, shut down. | The No. 7 subway line was partly, and briefly, shut down. |
| • How the city responded: With confusion, fear and lots of humor on social media. | • How the city responded: With confusion, fear and lots of humor on social media. |
| Besides those inevitable jokes about an alien invasion, there were also comparisons to the movie “Ghostbusters,” and someone guessed this was part of the third season of “Stranger Things.” | Besides those inevitable jokes about an alien invasion, there were also comparisons to the movie “Ghostbusters,” and someone guessed this was part of the third season of “Stranger Things.” |
| One reporter raised the possibility of it being linked to President Trump, tweeting, “Space Force!” | One reporter raised the possibility of it being linked to President Trump, tweeting, “Space Force!” |
| One person called this whole strange episode the Astoria Borealis. | One person called this whole strange episode the Astoria Borealis. |
| Even the police got caught up in the night’s strange mood: “No injuries, no fire, no evidence of extraterrestrial activity.” | Even the police got caught up in the night’s strange mood: “No injuries, no fire, no evidence of extraterrestrial activity.” |
| Here’s what else is happening: | Here’s what else is happening: |
| How we live: Traffic in the city has reached the point where grown-ups need crossing guards. | How we live: Traffic in the city has reached the point where grown-ups need crossing guards. |
| A new leader in Albany: When Democrats take over the State Senate next month, they will be led for the first time by a woman: Andrea Stewart-Cousins, who has clashed with the governor. | A new leader in Albany: When Democrats take over the State Senate next month, they will be led for the first time by a woman: Andrea Stewart-Cousins, who has clashed with the governor. |
| Jewish “cult” child abduction: An ultra-Orthodox sect is accused of kidnapping a brother and sister from New York state and taking them to Mexico. | Jewish “cult” child abduction: An ultra-Orthodox sect is accused of kidnapping a brother and sister from New York state and taking them to Mexico. |
| “Hamilton” in Puerto Rico: The show’s creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, is taking his production to Puerto Rico, and it’s getting complicated. | “Hamilton” in Puerto Rico: The show’s creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, is taking his production to Puerto Rico, and it’s getting complicated. |
| Deep dive: How the federal crackdown on MS-13 gang caught up innocent teenagers on Long Island, some seeking asylum. | Deep dive: How the federal crackdown on MS-13 gang caught up innocent teenagers on Long Island, some seeking asylum. |
| Fired staff, paid life coach: City Councilman Carlos Menchaca of Brooklyn laid off three staff members just before Christmas, after paying for a staff retreat led by a life coach. [Daily News] | Fired staff, paid life coach: City Councilman Carlos Menchaca of Brooklyn laid off three staff members just before Christmas, after paying for a staff retreat led by a life coach. [Daily News] |
| What’s in a (street) name? More than 2,000 people have signed an online petition to rename the part of Fifth Avenue in front of Trump Tower after Barack Obama. [MoveOn.org] | What’s in a (street) name? More than 2,000 people have signed an online petition to rename the part of Fifth Avenue in front of Trump Tower after Barack Obama. [MoveOn.org] |
| Good service, redefined: The M.T.A.’s definition of “good service” on the subways may not be the same as yours. [Gothamist] | Good service, redefined: The M.T.A.’s definition of “good service” on the subways may not be the same as yours. [Gothamist] |
| Jump over to the Winter Double Dutch Invitational at the Lost Battalion Hall Recreation Center in Queens. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. [Free] | Jump over to the Winter Double Dutch Invitational at the Lost Battalion Hall Recreation Center in Queens. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. [Free] |
| Watch poets compete at the Nuyorican Poetry Cafe's Friday night slam. 10 p.m. [$12] | Watch poets compete at the Nuyorican Poetry Cafe's Friday night slam. 10 p.m. [$12] |
| Saturday | Saturday |
| Head to the Apollo Theater’s annual Kwanzaa celebration for song, dance and tribute. 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. [$25] | Head to the Apollo Theater’s annual Kwanzaa celebration for song, dance and tribute. 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. [$25] |
| Grab a pair of headphones and hit the dance floor for a silent disco party at the Brooklyn Museum. 5 p.m. [$10] | Grab a pair of headphones and hit the dance floor for a silent disco party at the Brooklyn Museum. 5 p.m. [$10] |
| Sunday | Sunday |
| Last day for two exhibits at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center on Staten Island: “RE/Configurations,” featuring work by disabled artists, and “Columns and Caryatids,” an installation by Kristi Pfister. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. [$5] | Last day for two exhibits at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center on Staten Island: “RE/Configurations,” featuring work by disabled artists, and “Columns and Caryatids,” an installation by Kristi Pfister. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. [$5] |
| — Iman Stevenson | — Iman Stevenson |
| Events are subject to change, so double-check before heading out. For more events, see the going-out guides from The Times’s culture pages. | Events are subject to change, so double-check before heading out. For more events, see the going-out guides from The Times’s culture pages. |
| Maybe it was the time your ugly sweater just wasn’t ugly enough. | Maybe it was the time your ugly sweater just wasn’t ugly enough. |
| Or the time you said you would stop lying just as soon as somebody else would stop lying, too. | Or the time you said you would stop lying just as soon as somebody else would stop lying, too. |
| Or maybe it was your decision to take a drug test for work after eating a poppy seed bagel. | Or maybe it was your decision to take a drug test for work after eating a poppy seed bagel. |
| Whatever it was, let’s face it: We all have things we wish we could forget, or somehow erase, from 2018. | Whatever it was, let’s face it: We all have things we wish we could forget, or somehow erase, from 2018. |
| Today, you sort of can. | Today, you sort of can. |
| From noon to 1 p.m., selected participants can go to Times Square and write down a bad or regrettable moment from this past year and shred it away. (Register here.) | From noon to 1 p.m., selected participants can go to Times Square and write down a bad or regrettable moment from this past year and shred it away. (Register here.) |
| Good Riddance Day is an annual tradition hosted by the Times Square Alliance. It was inspired, the alliance says, by a Latin American tradition of stuffing dolls with objects representing bad memories and burning them. | Good Riddance Day is an annual tradition hosted by the Times Square Alliance. It was inspired, the alliance says, by a Latin American tradition of stuffing dolls with objects representing bad memories and burning them. |
| This being New York, and 2018, there may be more than a few people who want to participate. Arrive early. | This being New York, and 2018, there may be more than a few people who want to participate. Arrive early. |
| Dear Diary: | Dear Diary: |
| I lament not seeing what people read on the subway anymore. | I lament not seeing what people read on the subway anymore. |
| I believe people do still read (although the weaker among us slip into gaming and video images). I just notice it less because I cannot see what’s on their devices. Somehow it feels too nosy to look at a device. A book or a newspaper seemed less private. | I believe people do still read (although the weaker among us slip into gaming and video images). I just notice it less because I cannot see what’s on their devices. Somehow it feels too nosy to look at a device. A book or a newspaper seemed less private. |
| I miss seeing the racing sheet, the Polish-language press, the Chinese shopping circular. | I miss seeing the racing sheet, the Polish-language press, the Chinese shopping circular. |
| I miss looking at the scripts read by actors, even though to this day I still see their lips move as they rehearse their lines. | I miss looking at the scripts read by actors, even though to this day I still see their lips move as they rehearse their lines. |
| — Teresa Santamaria | — Teresa Santamaria |
| New York Today is published weekdays around 6 a.m. Sign up here to get it by email. You can also find it at nytoday.com. | New York Today is published weekdays around 6 a.m. Sign up here to get it by email. You can also find it at nytoday.com. |
| We’re experimenting with the format of New York Today. What would you like to see more (or less) of? Post a comment or email us: nytoday@nytimes.com. | We’re experimenting with the format of New York Today. What would you like to see more (or less) of? Post a comment or email us: nytoday@nytimes.com. |