Gothamist

New York City experienced smog from Canadian wildfires that obscured the skyline. Experts warn this is becoming a summer norm due to climate change, which increases wildfire frequency and intensity, creating a cycle of more carbon emissions.

New York City faces an Air Quality Health Advisory due to wildfire smoke from Canada and the Great Lakes, causing a thick haze. The National Weather Service predicts the return of smog by Friday afternoon, with initially clear skies expected to worsen.

Two suspects on a moped are suspected in 29 daytime robberies in Brooklyn and Queens between June 15 and July 10. The victims were targeted for their chains, which were forcibly taken by the duo.

Buffalo Bills owners contributed to Governor Kathy Hochul's campaign following her support for the team's new stadium. The article notes Democrats have a financial advantage over Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman.

Taco Bell is switching its lettuce out of an abundance of caution due to its link to an explosive diarrhea outbreak. The article also references AMC Lincoln Square screening 'The Odyssey' and mentions World Cup-related work slackers.

New Jersey consumes more power than it produces and is considering nuclear energy policies to address this imbalance, though significant changes will require federal support and take years to implement.

Car thieves in New York City are employing more sophisticated methods, and law enforcement is adapting to counter them. NYPD data indicates that grand larceny auto is the least solved major crime in the city.

An engineer stated that crucial reinforcing steel was never installed in a buckled high-rise, despite construction plans specifying its inclusion. The issue occurred at the former Pfizer headquarters building, where structural columns failed.

Michael Pena, a former FDNY firefighter, was sentenced to 4 to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to a 2025 crash in East Elmhurst, Queens, that killed 23-year-old Justin Diaz, who was driving to work at LaGuardia Airport.

Federal investigators searched the home and device of ex-NYC Sheriff Anthony Miranda in Puerto Rico. The searches indicate that scrutiny of Miranda has moved to federal prosecutors.

A tour helicopter crashed into the Hudson River one year ago, killing all six people aboard. The NTSB found goose remains on the wreckage but has not confirmed the cause of the April 2025 crash.

A Gothamist review of city-approved plans for the 21st-floor architectural floorplan of an office-to-housing conversion at 235 East 42nd St. revealed that columns below a major structural expansion were intended to be reinforced. The findings raise questions about the design of the buckled Midtown high-rise.

A Brooklyn man was sentenced to 20 years for a hate crime conviction related to the fatal stabbing of O’Shae Sibley, a Black, gay dancer at a Midwood gas station. Senior Assistant District Attorney Sarah Jafari and Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez were present during the sentencing alongside Sibley’s mother.

U.S. Rep. Thomas Kean Jr. continued trading stocks in June while absent from Congress and missing votes, according to a third disclosure. He departed the U.S. Capitol on June 30, remaining out of public view during this period.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Speaker Adrienne Menin are in disagreement over key policies. Menin is adopting positions that are more to the left of Mamdani's stance.

Queens Councilmembers Julie Won and Harvey Epstein have requested the Queens District Attorney to investigate rental fraud allegations following a Gothamist report that identified a pattern of such accusations.

Amtrak's study proposes building a 'super-wide' platform at Penn Station to increase train capacity without demolishing a Midtown block. The Trump administration is pursuing a plan to rebuild Penn Station and explore service improvements ahead of new Hudson River rail tunnel construction.

Smoke from wildfires in Canada has obscured views of lower Manhattan and One World Trade Center in New York City. The National Weather Service notes that conditions depend on whether the jet stream continues to funnel smoke from Ontario into New York and neighboring states.

A judge ruled that Long Island parents, whose daughter reported depression, can regain their firearms after Nassau County police had suspended their licenses and required weapon surrender following the daughter's self-harm thoughts. Police had responded to a separate incident involving a man barricaded in a Woodbury, New York, home.

Julia Anderson, 39, was killed near the group home where she worked with disabled children. A Mount Vernon man is charged with her murder, allegedly over a dispute related to home inheritance.