🌱 Unprecedented Political Donations + Timber Talk + Nets V. Knicks

Hello again, friends! It's me, Carlie Houser, your host of the Brooklyn Daily. Let's get this day started off right, with a quick dive into everything you need to know about what's happening in town these days. Today's briefing includes news about...

• City Council Speaker empties pockets for fellow Democrats' campaign funds
• NYC adaptive reuse architects flaunt a new way to use wood
• Nets beat the Knicks for the 9th straight time in interborough showdown

But first, today's weather:

🌧 An afternoon shower in spots. High: 51 Low: 41.

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Here are the top stories in Brooklyn today:

1. What some call donations, others are calling bought support, when it comes to a Brooklyn official dolling out funds to fellow City Council members. In an unprecedented move, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams has donated $1,000 each to 35 fellow Democrats on the 51-member council as she solicits support to keep her leadership post. Also on the receiving end of Adams' campaign fund was Manhattan Democratic Councilwoman Gale Brewer — a check yet to be cashed, according to sources — and Brooklyn Democratic Councilwoman Rita Joseph. Speakers have donated to fellow member's campaign funds before, but these funds are usually reserved for no more that a few politicians. According to the New York Post, no speaker has come close to Adams' generosity since the Council first began electing speakers in 1986.

New York Post

2. A adaptive reuse project turned an old warehouse in Brooklyn into a theatrical startup space, and it used some pretty inventive material technology to do it. The Mercury Store is a new performing arts studio that opened in the summer of 2021 in Gowanus, and the architect who made it reimagined the materials at the very heart of the renovation: heavy timber. The building combines original timber beams (from pine trees hewn more than 100 years ago) with modern cross-laminated timber, an engineered wood becoming increasingly more popular as a carbon-friendly alternative to traditional lumber. The Mercury Store is among the first commercial buildings in NYC to use cross-laminated timber in the 'adaptive reuse' or renovation context. At the link, learn more about the architects behind this new performance space, and how they're setting a new president for sustainable development citywide.

Bloomberg

3. With Kyrie Irving putting up an impressive 32 points, the Brooklyn Nets beat the New York Knicks last night for the 9th straight time. The teams separated by about five miles made for a natural addition to the NBA's ''Rivals Week'' schedule. But, the Knicks haven't beat the Nets since Jan. 26, 2020 — and even then, Kevin Durant was out with an injury and Irving left the Madison Square Garden game after learning of Kobe Bryant's death. "For me, I love beating the Knicks and playing against them, but all in all, it's just about the objective and that's to win the ballgame," Irving said. "Nothing personal." But while Irving seemed nonchalant about the so-called NYC rivalry game, his impressive gameplay suggests there was something on the line; Irving's sixth straight game of 30 or more points gave him a career high and the Nets an NBA franchise record.

NBA.com

Today in Brooklyn:

• Clothing / Warm Weather Wares Drive for Asylum Seekers, 101 Clinton Street, Today @ 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Details
• 'The Wild Bunch' Matinee Screening, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Downtown Brooklyn, Today @ 3 p.m. | Details
• Reggae & Soca Brunch, The Well, Today @ 3 p.m. | Details
• Black Box New Play Festival, Gallery Players, Today @ 3 p.m. | Details
• The Magician DJ, Elsewhere, Today @ 5:30 p.m. | Details

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Thanks for following along and staying informed! I'll see you around.

— Carlie Houser

About me: I'm a recent grad based in Brooklyn, NY. I love to write, run, read, and find new restaurants and venues around the city.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Brooklyn Daily? Contact me at brooklyn@patch.com