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New York Today

New York Today: What Is This Object?

What is this blue dot? a. Drop of paint. b. Cap. c. Piece of plastic. d. None of the above

Keith Williams and

Updated, 10:22 a.m.

Good morning on this bright-and-balmy Monday.

Have you ever wondered what those small plastic circles were on New York City streets?

They are asphalt tags, “A-tags” for short.

They identify who dug up the street and for what purpose, which comes in handy if there’s a problem later on. Light blue A-tags indicate work done on behalf of Con Edison, but in some cases, the important information — the contractor’s ID number and the year — has worn away.

The A-tags are just one of many mysterious objects that we’re on the hunt for in New York City. But we need your help.

For our F.Y.I. series, which answers readers’ questions about New York City, we will be researching the objects that you’ve always wondered about, or happened upon, by finding out what exactly the object is, signifies or does.

Feeling stumped by something you’ve seen in New York? Tell us.

To participate, take a picture of the mystery object(s) and submit your photograph using this form with any information you can provide. An editor or reporter may reach out to you for additional information.

Here’s what else is happening:

More of the same. It will be 90 and sunny.

The rest of the week shouldn’t waver much, though a thunderstorm or two could roll through.

For decades, the Catholic church overlooked Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick’s sexual harassment of men studying to be priests. [New York Times]

The city has enlisted the services of a for-profit Florida company to train New York’s police officers on how to recognize implicit biases. [New York Times]

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Police officers in Clearwater, Fla., in a patrol meeting with Daniel W. Slaughter, the police chief, who, along with his officers, underwent implicit bias training.Credit...Zack Wittman for The New York Times

A debate is raging over whether to give Ng Lap Seng, a Chinese billionaire, who was sentenced to four years in prison, more time in home detention. [New York Times]

Thousands of gamblers wagered on sporting events during the first day of sports betting at the Meadowlands. [New York Times]

We visited cultural enclaves around the city during the World Cup. A look at how they reacted to wins, losses and everything in between. [New York Times]

Preservationists want landmark status for the house where Walt Whitman lived when “Leaves of Grass” was published. The designation was denied last year. [New York Times]

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The home at 99 Ryerson Street in Brooklyn, where Walt Whitman lived. The Landmarks Preservation Commission said last year that the house “does not rise to the level of an individual landmark.” A coalition is asking the panel to reconsider.Credit...Elizabeth D. Herman for The New York Times

A Parks Department supervisor who has been convicted of sexually abusing women on the job faces more sexual misconduct allegations. [New York Post]

Nearly 17,000 Nycha residents are more than three months behind on their rent. [New York Post]

A 150-year-old giant pipe organ in New York City’s St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral may soon fall silent forever. [Voice of America]

Today’s Metropolitan Diary: “Rush Hour, President Street

For a global look at what’s happening, see Your Morning Briefing.

The New York Television Festival continues, bringing panels, premieres and other events with leading producers and writers to Helen Mills Theater and SVA Theatre in Chelsea. Times and prices vary.

A Cinema of Poetry: Aesthetics of the Italian Art Film,” a conversation with the author Joseph Luzzi, part of the Reel Talks series at Bryant Park in Midtown. 12:30 p.m. [Free]

Local comics perform at “Living for It” — comedy with a side of beer from the Brooklyn Brewery — at the Living Gallery in Bushwick. 7:30 p.m. [$10]

Outdoor movie night: “Despicable Me 3” in Gowanus, Brooklyn, and “Fried Green Tomatoes” in Midtown. Times vary. [Free]

Alternate-side parking remains in effect until Aug. 15.

For more events, see The New York Times’s Arts & Entertainment guide.

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The hip-hop artist Kurtis Blow in Harlem.Credit...Jim Cooper/Associated Press

This spring, New York announced its first Nightlife Mayor.

The appointee, Ariel Palitz, is responsible for mediating between city residents and local bars, clubs and other night-life venues, fielding concerns from both sides and working with all parties (literally and figuratively) to keep the peace.

Now, meet your neighbors helping Ms. Palitz.

Fourteen New Yorkers — from community activists to D.J.s to lawyers — have been named to the Nightlife Advisory Board, tasked with making policy recommendations for late-night establishments.

Among the members are the rapper Kurtis Blow, the chairman of the Universal Hip Hop Museum; the local composer and producer DJ Tikka Masala; the drag artist and L.G.B.T.Q. activist Marti Gould Cummings; the liquor licensing attorney Robert Bookman; and environmental attorney Andrew Praschak; a longtime leader from Community Board 3 in Manhattan, Susan Stetzer; and other artists, businesspeople and advocates appointed by the mayor and City Council.

“I am thrilled to welcome the members of the new Nightlife Advisory Board, which represents a cross section of stakeholders in both the industry and communities affected by it,” said Julie Menin, commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. “Working together, I know we can help night-life establishments comply with well-thought-out regulations while ensuring that our communities maintain the kind of quality of life they deserve.”

New York Today is a morning roundup that is published weekdays at 6 a.m. If you don’t get it in your inbox already, you can sign up to receive it by email here.

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You can find the latest New York Today at nytoday.com.

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