Cash App Fraud Risk, NYC Faster Bus Plan, Manhattan Cooling Tower…

Politics & Policy

• NY AG says Cash App exposed vulnerable users to ‘rampant fraud’ · NY Attorney General says Cash App’s lax onboarding controls allowed rampant fraud targeting vulnerable users, based on research in class-action court filings. (Gothamist)
• App Drivers Protest Uber and Lyft’s Legal Fight Against Deactivation Law · For-hire drivers with high ratings like Elena Zerkal protest Uber and Lyft’s legal battle opposing a law that limits driver deactivations. Drivers say strong service records offer no protection from being “dumped.” (The City Reporter)

Housing, Transportation & Infrastructure

• Will NYC’s faster bus plan change your commute? · Mamdani, Hochul, and MTA CEO unveiled “Next Stop: Fast Buses” plan promising six-minute faster bus commutes with center-running lanes and island boarding on Flatbush Avenue. Mayor and Council Speaker pledge to decline an 18.2% pay raise for elected officials. (Off Topic/On Politics)
• Mamdani wants to turn an ‘underutilized’ NYPD parking lot into affordable housing · Mayor Zohran Mamdani proposes converting an underused NYPD parking lot in the East Village into the first city-owned affordable housing site of his administration. (Gothamist)
• Vacate orders still in effect for buildings near Manhattan high-rise as work to stabilize continues · Emergency stabilization work on the unstable former Pfizer Manhattan headquarters continues; vacate orders remain for nearby buildings as temporary shoring is installed. (Spectrum News NY1)
• In Heat Wave, Major Power Line Meant to Boost NYC Grid Is Still Not Working · The Champlain Hudson Power Express, a 300+ mile hydropower transmission line from Quebec to Astoria, has been offline for 10 days amid a heat wave, leaving NYC grid without expected renewable energy boost. (The City Reporter)

Culture & Lifestyle

• Chaos and confusion at Jay-Z finale after lockdown strands crowd outside Yankee Stadium · Police report no arrests or injuries despite crowd confusion and tension as thousands of Jay-Z fans were stranded outside Yankee Stadium during a lockdown Sunday night. (Gothamist)
• UWS arts group makes proposal to save landmarked West-Park Presbyterian Church · An Upper West Side arts nonprofit offered $60,000 monthly rent for 10 years plus $5 million toward restoration to preserve the deteriorating landmarked West-Park Presbyterian Church. (AM New York)
• Weekend Guide: Benson Boone, Underground Art, Natural Hair Fest · Jay-Z headlines concerts at Yankee Stadium this weekend; local Brooklyn events include shows by Benson Boone, underground art exhibits, and a Natural Hair Festival. (Brooklyn Magazine)
• Frenchette Bakery Opens on Buzzy Mott Street · High-profile restaurateurs Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr open their third Frenchette Bakery location Tuesday at 370 Broome Street in Nolita, expanding their acclaimed bakery footprint. (Eater NY)
• ICYMI: Williamsburg Gallery Restaurant Just Got a Rooftop Bar — And a Deviled Crab Roll · Zoli, a new seafood-focused restaurant in Williamsburg by chef Ned Baldwin, debuted a rooftop bar featuring unique items like a deviled crab roll. (Eater NY)

Business & Economy

• New Yorkers Face Rising Electric Bills During ‘Especially Brutal’ Summer: What To Know · Con Edison warns New Yorkers of rising electric bills due to an early July heat wave driving up AC use and electricity demand during an “especially brutal” summer. (The City Reporter)
• How the Internet Changed New York City · The internet accelerated New York’s economic shift from manufacturing to white-collar industries, managing deindustrialization in the ’80s and ’90s but later threatening white-collar jobs—a dynamic now echoed by fears about AI’s impact. (The Bigger Apple)
• Migration and economic data reveals aging, high-taxed New York · Data shows New York’s taxpayer population is aging and declining amid high taxes, sparking concerns about economic sustainability in the state. (News10)

Civic Services & Government

• You Can’t Record in Police Station Lobbies After All · New York’s highest court ruled NYPD policy preventing recording inside police station lobbies overrides city and state laws protecting the right to record police. (Hell Gate)
• Pre-K Special Education Is Expanding in 14 NYC School Districts · Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a city expansion of high-demand special education programs into pre-K classrooms across 14 school districts starting this fall to address classroom seat shortages. (The City Reporter)
• Man convicted of shooting the mother of his child sentenced to 25 years to life · Isaac Argro, 26, received 25 years to life for fatally shooting the mother of his child on the Upper East Side, the Manhattan DA announced. (NY1)
• Driver whose passenger fatally shot NYPD officer gets 5 years, DA says · The driver involved in the 2024 fatal shooting of NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller during a Queens traffic stop was sentenced to five years in prison, prosecutors stated. (NY1)
• NYC investigators open preliminary criminal probe into high-rise Midtown building · The Department of Investigation launched a preliminary criminal inquiry into the unstable former Pfizer headquarters in Midtown after safety concerns over compromised support columns. (NY1)

DEEP DIVE

Hundreds of Manhattan Cooling Towers Haven’t Submitted Tests to Detect Legionella

More than 500 cooling towers across Manhattan have failed to submit the mandated monthly water tests required to detect Legionella bacteria, a potential source of deadly Legionnaires’ disease, records reviewed by The City Reporter reveal. Of those, 388 towers have no record of submitting any test results since at least 2025. This widespread noncompliance coincides with a recent outbreak on the Upper East Side and Carnegie Hill, where 60 residents fell ill and 15 remain hospitalized as of last Tuesday.

The outbreak has put a spotlight on these cooling towers, which air conditioning systems in buildings depend upon and which have historically been the source of Legionella contamination. City health officials tested 183 towers in affected zip codes, revealing 76 positive tests for the bacteria, 9 of which had no prior records of submission to the Department of Health. Notable locations with positive towers include the Asphalt Green sports complex and several large residential buildings, signaling systemic gaps in compliance and enforcement.

This failure to comply with testing regulations threatens public health by increasing the risk of Legionella spread in dense Manhattan neighborhoods. The city’s outbreak response and preventive measures hinge on enforcement actions, which may include fines or mandates for remediation. Residents and building owners face tangible consequences as the city ramps up oversight and scrutiny in coming months, pushing for full testing transparency to prevent further illness and potential fatalities. (The City Reporter)