NYC News: AG James Pleads Not Guilty, Ballot Measure on Elections, and New Photo Booth Museum

AG James's Legal Battle

• ⚖️ New York Attorney General Tish James pleaded not guilty to federal charges of lying on mortgage papers in Virginia.
• 🏛️ The case, pursued by the Trump administration, sets up a high-stakes legal fight between James and the Republican administration.

Ballot Measure for NYC Elections

• 🗳️ New York City voters will decide on a ballot initiative to move local elections from odd to even years, aligning them with presidential elections.
• 📈 Proponents believe this could increase voter turnout, which is significantly lower in off-years compared to presidential election years.
• ⚠️ Opponents worry that local races might be overshadowed by federal contests.
• 📜 If approved, a state constitutional change would still be required for implementation.

Autoo: A New Photo Booth Museum

• 📸 A new museum called Autoo on the Lower East Side celebrates the history of the photo booth.
• 💡 The museum features seven working photo booths, including the original camera mechanism from inventor Anatol Joseph's first booth.
• ✨ Autoo highlights the tactile and personal nature of photo prints, contrasting with the digital age, and calls the photo booth the "original selfie."
• 🎞️ The museum showcases blueprints, manuals, and personal photo strips, including a rare M11 model and the world's only working color booth from MTV's Total Request Live.
• 📄 The availability of specialized paper, historically sourced from Russia, was threatened by the war, but renewed interest and lobbying have led to new production.
• 🤳 The museum attracts a broad range of visitors, with a median age in their early 20s, who are drawn to the unique, analog experience.