Mayor Mamdani Completes Redesign of ‘Crashland’ in Downtown Brooklyn

 

City transforms Ashland Place into a one-way street with a two-way protected bike lane, creating a 5.5-mile protected biking corridor from Sunset Park to DUMBO

Cyclists travel in both directions in the completed protected bike lane on Ashland Place. Credit: NYC DOT

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Mike Flynn today announced the completion of a continuous protected bike lane on Ashland Place in Downtown Brooklyn, filling the final gap in a 5.5-mile protected bike corridor between Sunset Park and DUMBO.

NYC DOT first began the Ashland Place redesign in 2022, but after interference from the previous administration, work stopped before the final block of protected bike lane could be installed. For three years, the project sat unfinished, with bags covering new traffic signals intended to improve safety at the intersection.

Today, as the long-awaited redesign takes effect, the City removed those bags and completed the project.

“For years, ‘Crashland’ has been a symbol of broken promises and safety put on the back burner. Today, we finish the job,” said Mayor Mamdani. “The Ashland Place redesign connects New Yorkers to a protected bike network, shortens crossing distances for pedestrians and calms traffic for everyone moving through the area. Our job as government first and foremost is to build a city that keeps New Yorkers safe and works for the people who live here. This is what that looks like.”

“Completing the Ashland Place redesign is not just the completion of one city block, but a critical link that will safely connect cyclists from across Brooklyn to Manhattan, North Brooklyn and Western Queens,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn. “We’re proud to unbag the traffic signals on Ashland Place and officially make ‘Crashland’ a distant memory as we work alongside community members across the five boroughs to advance the next generation of street safety redesigns.”

HERNANDEZ BLASTS DINAPOLI OVER NEW YORK’S $7.7 BILLION SEPTEMBER DEBT BINGE

 

Joseph Hernandez, candidate for New York State Comptroller, today blasted incumbent Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli after he announced nearly $7.7 billion in planned bond sales for New York State, New York City, and their major public authorities in September alone, even as DiNapoli’s own office warns that New York’s debt burden is exploding and the state is rapidly approaching its debt limit.

 

“Tom DiNapoli has been Comptroller for nearly 20 years. He cannot keep issuing reports warning about Albany’s debt problem as if he is some outside observer,” Hernandez said. “He is the state’s chief fiscal watchdog. He chairs the committee that coordinates these bond calendars. His own office has warned for years about backdoor borrowing and an exploding debt burden, yet the borrowing keeps coming and the debt keeps piling up. After nearly two decades, DiNapoli owns this record.”

 

The numbers in DiNapoli’s own analysis of the enacted state budget are staggering. State supported debt is projected to grow from $60.3 billion to $98.8 billion over the next five years, an increase of approximately 64%. DiNapoli’s office says nearly all of that increase will come from backdoor borrowing through public authorities.

 

The enacted five year capital plan calls for $56.4 billion in public authority backdoor borrowing, with more than 51% of all capital project spending projected to be financed through backdoor debt. By comparison, just $1.8 billion is projected to be financed through General Obligation bonds.

 

That borrowing is being layered onto an already staggering debt burden. Across New York State, New York City, and the MTA, combined debt and indebtedness already exceeds $200 billion, including $60.3 billion in state supported debt, $96.3 billion in New York City indebtedness, and $45.3 billion in MTA debt outstanding.

 

“More than half of New York’s capital spending is being financed through backdoor debt, almost all of the projected increase in state debt is coming through backdoor borrowing, and the Comptroller has spent years telling us how dangerous this is,” Hernandez said. “New Yorkers do not need another report explaining the problem. They need a Comptroller willing to fight the spending and borrowing culture that created it.”

 

The situation is projected to get even worse. DiNapoli’s office says New York will have just $177 million in remaining capacity under the state debt limit by State Fiscal Year 2031. At the same time, baseline debt service costs, adjusted for prepayments, are projected to climb from $6.415 billion to $9.232 billion, an increase of nearly 44%.

 

“Think about that. New York is on track to carry nearly $100 billion in state supported debt, debt service costs are projected to jump nearly 44%, and Albany is running within $177 million of its debt ceiling,” Hernandez said. “Meanwhile, DiNapoli announces another $7.7 billion bond calendar and acts like documenting the problem is enough. It is not enough.”

 

As Comptroller, Hernandez will push for binding debt affordability limits, greater transparency and voter accountability for public authority borrowing, and aggressive scrutiny of the spending and capital plans driving New York deeper into debt.

 

“Albany has treated borrowing like an unlimited credit card, and DiNapoli has spent nearly 20 years watching the balance grow,” Hernandez said. “Every bond eventually comes with a bill, and taxpayers are the ones who have to pay it. The days of Albany borrowing first and asking questions later need to end.”

DEC ANNOUNCES ANNUAL TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF TWO SHELLFISHING AREAS

 

Department of Environmental Conservation

Two North Shore Areas to Close September 3; Areas Expected to Reopen September 10

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced the temporary closure of two shellfishing areas on the north shore of Long Island during the upcoming Labor Day holiday period. These closures are imposed during busy holidays to protect public health from potentially contaminated shellfish associated with increased boating activity. Boaters are reminded to use pump-out facilities to help protect these waters.    Since 1995, DEC has designated these areas as temporarily uncertified for the harvest of shellfish during the Fourth of July and Labor Day holidays. During peak holiday periods, discharges from marine sanitation devices (toilets) may contaminate nearby shellfish beds with pathogenic bacteria or viruses, rendering the shellfish unsafe for human consumption.    DEC will designate the following areas, all on the north shore of Long Island, as closed to the harvest of shellfish beginning at sunrise on September 3, and continuing through September 9: 

• 445 acres in a portion of Oyster Bay Harbor, Town of Oyster Bay, Nassau County; and 
• 261 acres in northern Port Jefferson Harbor, Town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County. 

Shellfish harvesting is expected to resume in these areas on September 10. If poor weather causes fewer boaters to visit these areas, DEC may rescind the closure and reopen the areas earlier for harvesting. A recorded message advising the public about temporary closures of any shellfishing areas in New York State is accessible 24 hours a day by calling (631) 444-0480. The recorded message also advises harvesters when such areas have reopened. Information, including maps showing the affected areas, is available on DEC's website.    Boaters should be aware that Oyster Bay Harbor and Port Jefferson Harbor are designated as no-discharge zones in their entirety. A no-discharge zone is a designated body of water where the discharge of treated or untreated boat sewage is prohibited. Boaters in these areas should utilize the following pump-out facilities: 

• Oyster Bay Harbor (West Harbor, Town of Oyster Bay): One pump-out boat is operated by the Town of Oyster Bay at no cost to boaters. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. Contact the pump-out boat via marine radio VHF channel 9 or by cell phone at (516) 375-9864. In addition, the Town provides two pump-out stations on floats near the Oyster Bay Marine Center and Waterfront Park and a land-based pump-out in the Town marina at Theodore Roosevelt Park; and 
• Port Jefferson Harbor (Town of Brookhaven): The Town of Brookhaven operates a pump-out boat (no fee) in Port Jefferson Harbor. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Boaters may contact the Town's pump-out boat via marine radio VHF channel 73. In addition, the Town provides a pump-out station on its transient dock, east of the boat launch ramp, west of the charter fishing vessels. 

A full list of No Discharge Zones in New York State, including other Long Island waters, can be found on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's website. View the Temporary Shellfish Closures maps on DEC's website. 

Mayor Mamdani Announces Sweeping New Measures to Strengthen New York City’s Response to Legionnaires’ Disease

 

Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and the New York City Health Department announced a series of new measures to strengthen the City’s education, enforcement and response to Legionella bacteria in cooling towers following the Upper East Side community cluster earlier this summer.   

  

The initiatives build on the Health Department’s rapid and aggressive response to the Upper East Side cluster, including unprecedented steps to increase transparency and accelerate the remediation of cooling towers in the affected area.   

  

“New York City responded to this summer’s cluster of Legionnaires’ disease with urgency and an unprecedented level of action. When New Yorkers’ health is at stake, government cannot wait for the crisis to pass before asking how it can do better. Our response to the Upper East Side cluster was fast and aggressive, and we are building on what we learned to make our systems stronger, enforcement faster and public health response more transparent,” said Mayor Mamdani. “New Yorkers deserve a government that moves with urgency to keep them safe.”  

  

“Our first responsibility is to protect the health and safety of New Yorkers,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Helen Arteaga. “These measures build on the Mamdani administration’s unprecedented response to this summer’s cluster and strengthen the systems that protect New Yorkers from Legionella bacteria year-round. This is what public health looks like when government is coordinated, measured, and responsive.”  

  

“New York City already has some of the most rigorous cooling tower laws and regulations in the country, but rigorous standards only matter if we are constantly working to make them stronger,” said NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Alister F. Martin. “Today’s announcement reflects our commitment to continuous improvement and investment we need to respond faster and more effectively when New Yorkers’ health is at risk.”   

  

“Education, outreach, and efficient government processes are critical to delivering the services New Yorkers deserve, and we remain committed to providing our sister agencies with the information and support they need,” said Department of Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani. “We are proud to continue working closely with our partners in Health as we look for ways to strengthen our efforts and better serve and protect New Yorkers.”  

  

The new measures include:  

•   Identifying potentially unregistered cooling towers by developing synergy between the Health Department and the Department of Buildings (DOB) in the City’s registration and tracking systems.  

•    Enhancing public visibility and transparency regarding cooling tower regulations by adding a mapping feature to the Health Department’s address-based cooling tower lookup tool.  

•    Exploring faster culture testing methods and novel testing approaches to decrease the amount of time it takes to test and confirm positive results.  

•    Accelerating enforcement of cooling tower violations by assigning the earliest Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH) date that rules permit.   

•    Convening a scientific advisory panel to evaluate emerging cooling tower technology and alternative cooling systems.   

  

Strengthening Education and Awareness  

  

To increase public education and transparency before a Legionnaires’ disease investigation is underway, the Health Department will expand its existing online, address-based cooling tower lookup tool with a citywide mapping feature that will allow New Yorkers to see registered cooling towers across the five boroughs.   

  

Users will be able to review each registered cooling tower’s inspection history, including compliance with Legionella sampling requirements.   

  

To ensure New Yorkers are aware of the new tool, the Health Department will launch an annual public education and media campaign ahead of cooling tower season each summer. The mapping tool and campaign are expected to launch by spring 2027.   

  

Improving Enforcement and Prevention  

  

Strong enforcement of the City’s cooling tower laws and regulations is critical to protecting public health and promoting compliance with requirements designed to reduce the risk of Legionnaires’ disease.   

  

When a building owner receives a summons for violating cooling tower regulations, the owner may appear before OATH to contest the violation. Unless a fine is paid in advance, collection may not occur until after the hearing. Since May 8, the Health Department has conducted 800 field inspections, over 460 of which resulted in at least one violation, and $80,500 in fines have been paid.  

  

Under new procedures, the Health Department will assign the earliest hearing date permitted —  15 days after service of a summons. The City implemented this approach during the summer, helping accelerate the hearing process and strengthen enforcement.  

  

The Health Department will also intensify efforts to identify and prevent the operation of unregistered cooling towers.   

  

No cooling tower should be operating in New York City without being registered. Yet the Health Department identified unregistered cooling towers during both the Upper East Side investigation and last year’s Central Harlem cluster investigation.  

  

Going forward, the Health Department will work with the New York City Department of Buildings to strengthen connections between the Health Department’s Cooling Tower Registration Portal and DOB’s construction permitting system. The agencies will also work together to educate developers about cooling tower requirements before systems begin operating. This change will formalize an existing partnership that has helped identify unregistered cooling tower and will ensure more cooling towers are registered before they are ever turned on. By connecting the two systems, this will help ensure more cooling towers are registered in the first place before they are ever turned on. The new measures are expected to be implemented by the end of the year.     

     

Convening a Scientific Advisory Panel  

  

Rising temperatures, longer heat waves, and high humidity for longer periods of the year are creating conditions that can increase the risk of Legionella bacteria growth in cooling towers.   

  

Cooling towers already provide conditions favorable to Legionella growth. As climate change drives more extreme and prolonged heat, it is increasingly important to invest in proactive measures that reduce the public health risks associated with these systems.   

  

In response, the Health Department will convene a scientific advisory panel to evaluate emerging cooling tower technology and explore alternative cooling technologies that could reduce New York City’s reliance on cooling towers.   

  

The Health Department will appoint the panel’s chair and members in the coming months and aims to issue recommendations within the next year.  

  

Strengthening Investigation and Response Times  

  

One of the defining challenges of the Upper East Side investigation was the density of cooling towers in the affected area — nearly four times as many as were identified during the Central Harlem cluster in 2025. Each tower needed to be sampled and tested for Legionella as quickly as possible.   

  

In the coming years, the Health Department will explore faster culture methods and novel testing approaches, including to reduce the time it takes to test and confirm positive results. This will allow the Public Health Lab to rapidly scale up testing during a Legionnaires’ disease cluster while providing additional capacity for other emerging issues. This requires additional staff and resources, which the Health Department aims to have in place before the summer of 2028.  

  

Upper East Side Community Cluster  

  

The Health Department continues to investigate potential sources of exposure associated with the Upper East Side community cluster. Results from whole-genome sequencing analysis are expected this fall.   

  

That analysis compares the specific strain of Legionella found in patient samples with strains identified in cooling towers in the affected area. If genetic matches are identified, the analysis may provide additional information about the source of this summer’s cluster.   

  

As of August 31, there have been 94 cases of Legionnaires’ disease associated with the cluster. No patients remain hospitalized, and 11 people have died.  

  

As of late August, 81% of cooling towers citywide were in compliance with monthly requirements to sample and test.   

Permits Filed for 29 Mt. Hope Place in Mt. Hope, The Bronx

 

Permits have been filed for a 15-story residential building at 29 Mt. Hope Place in Mt. Hope, The Bronx. Located between Walton Avenue and Jerome Avenue, the lot is near the 176th Street subway station, served by the 4 train. Joel Brach of Buildhouser Inc. is listed as the owner behind the applications.

The proposed 150-foot-tall development will yield 155,940 square feet designated for residential space. The building will have 99 residences, with a total 246 units on the site, most likely be rentals based on the average unit scope of 633 square feet. The concrete-based structure will also have a cellar and a 20-foot-long rear yard.

Nikolai Katz Architect is listed as the architect of record.

Demolition permits were filed in January for the two-story residential building on the site. An estimated completion date has not been announced.

Justice Department Continues to Disrupt Hamas Terrorist Financing Schemes Through Seizures of Cryptocurrency and Internet Infrastructure

 

The Court-Authorized Seizures Allowed the FBI to Seize $560,000 in Cryptocurrency and Take Control of Domains and Servers that Hamas Used to Raise Money and Recruit Supporters

Today the Justice Department announced the disruption of an ongoing scheme by Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya (Hamas) –— a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization — to raise funds for terrorist operations and recruit supporters. As part of the Department’s efforts, over $560,000 in cryptocurrency donations destined for Hamas were seized and its fundraising and recruitment communication platforms and websites were disrupted. Hamas originally controlled the seized infrastructure and cryptocurrency addresses on behalf of its military wing, the Al Qassam Brigades. 

“These seizures deprive Hamas of resources it relies on to recruit and radicalize individuals online and finance barbaric attacks like the one on October 7, 2023,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “We will continue to tighten the vise on Hamas’s capacity for terror by infiltrating its online networks, confiscating its cryptocurrency, and shutting down its websites.”

“A message to Hamas: We will stop your fundraising for terror,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia. “Your networks are not secure, your crypto is vulnerable, and we will not stop until your ability to wage war is defeated.” 

“Hamas relied on cryptocurrency and online platforms to solicit funds from donors around the world and move that money outside the formal financial system,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI's Cyber Division. “The FBI seized online infrastructure and $560,000 in cryptocurrency, capturing donations intended for the organization. The FBI will continue to use its authorities to intercept illicit funds and prevent terrorist organizations from exploiting digital networks to finance their operations.” 

“Reducing the capabilities of foreign terrorist organization's ability to receive donations and creating distrust in communications to their donors was the primary focus of this latest operation,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin A. Garris of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office. “This continued success demonstrates the unwavering commitment and determination of the FBI in fighting terrorism. We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to shut off the flow of funds to this group and protect the American people.”

As alleged in court documents, a group chat claiming association with Hamas on an encrypted communications platform directed supporters to a fundraising website and provided donors with a rotating set of cryptocurrency donation addresses. As described in the three unsealed cryptocurrency seizure warrants, on March 25, 2025, June 25, 2025, and Oct. 10, 2025, investigators used information from multiple human sources to identify, trace, and seize approximately $560,000 in cryptocurrency intended to support Hamas’ Al Qassam Brigades.

In conjunction with these seizures, the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office worked with human sources to identify and seize domains and servers the Al Qassam Brigades that controlled its main website, AlQassam.ps. The FBI’s capture of these domains and servers enabled it to intercept cryptocurrency donations intended for Hamas. Using related sources and methods, the FBI also obtained information regarding thousands of individuals who contacted Hamas online in an effort to donate or attempt to donate to the terrorist organization using cryptocurrency and other traditional means. Such information will be used in the FBI’s future counterterrorism efforts.

The FBI Albuquerque Field Office is investigating the case, in coordination with the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, Cyber Division, and New York Field Office.

Attorney General James’ Office of Special Investigation Releases Report on Deaths of Mario, Maria, and Magdalena Garcia

 

New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigation (OSI) released its report on the deaths of Port Authority Police Department (PAPD) Officer Mario Garcia and his sister and mother, Maria and Magdalena Garcia in the Bronx. Mario and Maria died on January 22, 2026, and Magdalena died on February 16, 2026 following injuries sustained on January 22. After a thorough investigation, which included review of body-worn camera footage and NYPD Crime Scene Unit reports and photographs, ballistics analysis, and comprehensive legal analysis, OSI determined that Officer Garcia was solely responsible for his death and the deaths of Maria and Magdalena.

At 8 a.m. on January 22, a New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer arrived at an apartment in the Bronx in response to a 911 call reporting that a man shot himself on the first floor of the building. The officer was directed to a hallway, where she encountered Officer Garcia, who was leaning against the wall next to an apartment door, unconscious and bleeding heavily from a visible gunshot wound to the head. At 8:03 a.m., additional NYPD officers arrived and entered the apartment. In the apartment, officers found Maria in a bedroom and Magdalena in the living room, seated on a daybed, bleeding from a gunshot wound. Maria was declared dead at the scene. Magdalena was transported to a local hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries on February 16, 2026. Responding officers and paramedics attempted to provide aid to Officer Garcia. Officer Garcia was declared dead on the scene at 8:06 a.m. Officers recovered two firearms at the scene.

The medical examiner’s analysis determined that Maria died from a gunshot wound to her head, and Magdalena died from complications related to a gunshot wound to her face. Both deaths were deemed homicides. The medical examiner’s analysis also determined that Officer Garcia died from gunshot wounds to the head and deemed the manner of death to be suicide. Microscopic analysis found that the shell casings recovered near Maria and Magdalena and the bullet in Officer Garcia’s head were all fired from Officer Garcia’s gun.

A full review of the evidence supports the conclusion that Officer Garcia was responsible for his death, and the deaths of Maria and Magdalena. The OSI uncovered no evidence indicating that any other person was involved in the deaths. Therefore, there is no basis for which OSI could seek charges against any living person in this case.

Executive Law Section 70-b directs OSI to investigate and, if warranted, prosecute offenses arising from any incident in which the death of a person is caused by a police officer, whether on or off duty. When OSI does not or, as in this case, cannot seek charges against the officer, Section 70-b requires OSI to issue a public report describing its investigation.

New York Judge Blocks State of New York’s Unconstitutional Climate Superfund Act

 

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York ruled that the State of New York may not impose strict liability on energy companies for their alleged contributions to global greenhouse gas emissions. In 2024, New York enacted the “Climate Change Superfund Act,” which purported to impose billions of dollars on domestic and foreign energy companies that extract fossil fuels or refine crude oil.  A coalition of states and trade organizations sued, alleging that the Act is preempted by the federal Clean Air Act and by the federal foreign affairs power, and that the Act violates the Constitution. After the case was consolidated with a suit filed by a different coalition of trade organizations, the Justice Department filed a statement of interest and presented oral argument in support of the plaintiffs. The court agreed that the New York Climate Change Superfund Act is preempted by the Clean Air Act and by the federal foreign affairs power, and the court held that the Climate Act is invalid.

“The Department of Justice is delivering on President Trump’s order to protect American energy from state overreach,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “New York’s law would have expropriated $75 billion from energy companies around the world during an energy emergency and in direct defiance of American foreign policy and federal law. We will continue to fight for affordable, reliable energy for all Americans.”

President Trump directed the Attorney General to take action to stop the enforcement of state laws that unreasonably burden domestic energy development so that energy will once again be reliable and affordable for all Americans. The Justice Department’s support in this case advances President Trump’s directive in Executive Order 14260, Protecting American Energy from State Overreach. 

The government has also filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York challenging the same expropriative Climate Change Superfund Act. And the government has filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont challenging Vermont’s Climate Superfund Act, which seeks to recover an unspecified amount from the same energy companies targeted by the New York Act. In those suits, the government alleges that the New York Climate Change Superfund Act and the Vermont Climate Superfund Act are preempted by the federal Clean Air Act and by the federal foreign affairs power, and that they violate the U.S. Constitution. The Justice Department seeks a declaration that these state laws are unconstitutional and an injunction against their enforcement.