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City Council Speaker Julie Menin announced support for Romanch’s Law, a proposed ban on horse-drawn carriages in Central Park, following the death of 18-year-old tourist Romanch Mahajan. The legislation aims to phase out the industry by ending new licenses and providing job retraining for drivers.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul paused state environmental permits for large new or expanding data centers using at least 50 megawatts of electricity to allow for an environmental review. The pause excludes applications already deemed complete and local permits, focusing on the industry's impact on energy, water, and communities.

Mahmoud Khalil filed a lawsuit against the federal government, accusing it of conspiring with pro-Israel groups like the Heritage Foundation, Betar, and Canary Mission to target Palestinian activists for detention and deportation. The complaint names officials including presidential advisor Stephen Miller and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, alleging the government used a civil rights suppression law to repress activism. Khalil seeks damages and a court order declaring his arrest unconstitutional.

Lindy Jones was sentenced to five years for criminal possession of a weapon after his passenger, Guy Rivera, fatally shot NYPD Detective Jonathan Diller in Far Rockaway on March 25, 2024. Rivera was later convicted of aggravated manslaughter and sentenced to 115 years. Diller, who was posthumously promoted to detective, was killed during a traffic stop when Rivera ignored commands and fired a gun.

23andMe was fined $18 million by a coalition of 42 attorneys general, including New York's Letitia James, for failing to protect customer genetic data in a 2023 breach affecting 300,000 New Yorkers. The settlement mandates new security measures and includes $705,000 paid to New York, following findings that the company neglected basic cybersecurity protocols.

The MTA sued TWU Local 100, the union representing its bus workers, to block arbitration over a disciplinary process for a suspended bus operator. The operator was arrested for 'threats of violence' and accused by a coworker of physical threats, prompting the MTA to require a psychological evaluation. The union challenged the MTA's submission of disciplinary documents to medical services, arguing they should be handled by labor relations offices.

New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Council Member Susan Zhuang introduced bills to reduce bureaucratic hurdles for small businesses by streamlining inspections, permitting, and approval processes. The Red Tape Relief Act aims to revive the Bloomberg-era New Business Acceleration Team program, while another bill proposes a Quadrennial Regulatory Review Commission to assess and improve business regulations.

Timothy Pearson, a former top aide for ex-Mayor Eric Adams, sued the city after Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration ended taxpayer-funded legal representation for Pearson in four sexual assault and harassment cases. The city claims Pearson's alleged misconduct falls outside the scope of his public employment, while Pearson argues the decision to drop his defense was improper and inconsistent with prior city determinations.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani pledged to release hundreds of NYC public school contracts to the City Council 'in the coming weeks' amid a dispute with Council Speaker Julie Menin, who threatened a subpoena. The Council seeks 579 contracts related to school services and noncompetitive procurement, but the Department of Education has delayed by providing summaries instead of full agreements.

City officials announced the expansion of five special education programs (Nest, Horizon, AIMS, Path, and ACES) into pre-K classrooms across 14 school districts in New York City, funded by a $67.5 million investment. The expansion aims to provide students with autism and developmental delays access to inclusive and specialized early childhood education.

New York's cannabis legalization in 2021 promised equitable benefits for communities impacted by the War on Drugs, but five years later, systemic barriers persist. The Black Institute's Social Equity and Racial Justice Project is hosting the third annual Canna Ball NYC to promote education, oversight, and networking for Black and Brown entrepreneurs and advocates in the cannabis industry.

A 39-year-old woman was shot dead in the Bronx while sitting in her car near her workplace. Police are hunting a gunman after ShotSpotter detected gunshots at 11:36 p.m. on July 13; the victim, identified as Julia Anderson of Mount Vernon, was pronounced dead at Jacobi Hospital. Witnesses saw a moped fleeing the scene, and no arrests have been made.

A 24-year-old man was found fatally shot under a bridge on Randall’s Island on July 13. Police are investigating potential links to homelessness and sex work activity near the Clark Thomas Men's Shelter. No arrests have been made, and authorities are seeking public tips.

Major book publishers, including Hachette Book Group, Cengage Learning, and Elsevier, filed a federal class action lawsuit against Google, alleging that its Gemini AI system illegally scraped millions of copyrighted books and articles from online sources, including pirated sites and licensed databases, to train the AI. The publishers claim Google's actions undermine human creativity and the literary industry by generating AI substitutes that compete with original works, such as summaries, alternative versions of novels, and replacement textbook chapters.

Wilfredo Laracuente, a Bronx poet who served a 20-year prison sentence, won a $500 prize from the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice for his poem on life after incarceration. His work, part of the 'Next Verse: Voices for Change' contest, reflects on personal transformation and public safety, inspired by his education and writing during incarceration.

The New York City Bar Association urged the U.S. Senate to reject Todd Blanche's nomination as attorney general, citing concerns that he prioritizes President Donald Trump's interests over ethical and constitutional obligations. The association criticized Blanche for politically motivated actions, including firing U.S. attorneys who prosecuted Jan. 6 rioters and settling the Trump v. IRS case in Trump's favor, which it deemed improper.

A Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Manhattan’s Upper East Side has reached 59 cases, with 15 hospitalized. While the city investigates the source, an unrelated Legionella detection in a Upper West Side building’s hot water system is not linked to the outbreak. Officials confirm tap water and air conditioning use remain safe, and a virtual town hall will update residents.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced five 'PIT Crews' to accelerate the development of government technology, starting with an online portal to enforce the city's Click to Cancel protections. The initiative, funded by $5.24 million in city funds and the Rockefeller Foundation, aims to transition policy ideas into functional tools within months rather than years.

A New York City appeals court approved the redevelopment of NYCHA’s Fulton and Chelsea-Elliott Houses, allowing demolition of 18 buildings to construct six new ones over seven years. The project includes 3,454 mixed-income apartments, with 1,038 at affordable rates, and relocates some residents temporarily. Opponents argued the plan bypassed proper approvals and involved private developers on public land, but the court dismissed their lawsuit as untimely.

Doctors in NYC report a surge in severe injuries from e-bike and scooter crashes, with trauma centers treating more patients for brain, spine, and internal injuries. A study from Bellevue Hospital found micromobility device-related trauma cases rose from 7.9% in 2018 to 55% in 2023, with pedestrians sustaining worse injuries than riders.