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Ãngel Franco/The New York Times Water everywhere: the Thomas Jefferson Pool in East Harlem will open to swimmers today, but rain may spoil the fun.Good news: the city’s 63 outdoor public pools open Thursday. Bad news: for much of the day, thunderstorms may keep you out of the water.
A flash-flood watch is in effect starting at noon. In fact, we may set a record for the wettest June.
All we need is 0.41 inches to top the high of 10.26 inches, and the National Weather Service says we could get a half inch today and well over an inch by tomorrow night.
So if you’re going to swim, go early. And wherever you go, bring an umbrella.
Here’s what else you need to know to start your Thursday.
TRANSIT & TRAFFIC â€"
- Heavy already on the upper-level G.W.B. inbound and the B.Q.E. Gowanus, 1010 WINS reports. Alternate-side parking is in effect.
- Trains are normal. Click for the latest status.
COMING UP TODAY
- James Gandolfini’s funeral is at 10 a.m. at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.
-Transit riders and politicians will rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall at 11 a.m. to demand a plan to make up for service that will be lost when the R-train tunnel to Manhattan is shut down for a year.
- Bleary City Council members who were up past 2 a.m. voting to rein in the police will hold a hearing on low wages in the fast-food industry at 11:30 a.m.
- On the campaign trail: a candidate forum on flood-proofing the city and the recovery from Hurricane Sandy in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn at 7 p.m. This morning, Anthony D. Weiner will talk about a proposal to let gay men donate blood, which they currently may not.
- The N.B.A. draft will be held at the Barclays Center at 7 p.m.
- The mayor is giving a reception to high school valedictorians at Gracie Mansion.
- Cher is slated to sing at the Marquee’s Thursday night “Q†party in Chelsea.
- Free stuff in parks: Good Humor ice cream at Bryant Park from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., hepaitis and H.I.V. tests at Union Square from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- For more Thursday events, see The Times’s Arts & Entertainment guide.
IN THE NEWS
- Over the objections of the mayor, the City Council in the middle of the night approved bills to increase police oversight and expand the ability to sue over racial profiling. [New York Times]
- Anthony D. Weiner’s status as poll leader lasted exactly one day. A new poll shows him tied with Christine C. Quinn and William C. Thompson Jr. [New York Times]
- An unpleasant find, in several ways: pieces of a dismembered alligator on a street in Williamsburg. [Daily News]
This week, we’re testing New York Today, which we put together just before dawn and update until noon. What information would you like to see here when you wake up to help you plan your day? Tell us in the comments, send suggestions to anewman@nytimes.com or tweet them at @nytmetro using #NYToday. Thanks!
