NYC NOW

New York City is set to spend $120 million on immigration legal services in its new budget, nearly doubling last year’s funding and marking a record investment. Meanwhile, Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla is criticizing PATH after equipment failures forced nearly all train service in and out of his city to shut down Saturday night. Plus, the MLB All-Star festivities begin in Atlanta with the Home Run Derby, where Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm will compete for a $1 million prize and a custom chain. Tomorrow’s midsummer classic will see Mets stars Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor join Yankees standouts Aaron Judge and Carlos Rodón.

This summer, city drones are spotting more sharks off Rockaway and other beaches, prompting multiple temporary closures and stirring unease among beachgoers. WNYC’s Liam Quigley explains what’s driving the uptick in sightings. Also, New York Aquarium curator and marine biologist Hans Walters talks about shark behavior, the kinds of sharks near New York, and busts some of the biggest myths about these ocean predators.

A judge has granted a temporary restraining order, preventing the firings of dozens of NYPD officers who the department says were improperly hired. Plus, a state appeals court says the Adams administration must implement reforms to expand housing vouchers for low-income New Yorkers. Also, New Jersey native Amanda Anismova is off to the women's Wimbledon final Saturday. Meanwhile, Whole Foods has filed a lawsuit against the Public Hotel, in the Bowery, saying late night crowds for the hotel’s popular rooftop bar are blocking its deliveries. And finally, a popular dating competition has taken over nightlife in New York City.

Columbia graduate and campus activist Mahmoud Khalil is suing the Trump administration for $20 million, alleging he was falsely imprisoned, maliciously prosecuted, and smeared as an anti-Semite. Meanwhile, a dozen crisis workers in New York and New Jersey who staff the 988 Lifeline’s LGBTQ+ support line are expected to lose their jobs this month. Plus, WNYC’s David Furst speaks with Phillip Markle, artistic director of the Brooklyn Comedy Collective, about this weekend’s Fun & Dumb Improv Festival.

A month after New York City banned broker fees for most renters, a StreetEasy report shows rents rose only slightly, easing fears of a major spike. Meanwhile, state officials warn the new federal tax law could leave a $3 billion hole in New York’s budget. Friday and Saturday bring the year’s final Manhattanhenge sunsets, with prime views on cross streets like 14th and 72nd. And in transit news, riders are dealing with sweltering subway cars, a judge has approved Mayor Adams’ plan to remove protections from a Bedford Avenue bike lane, and work continues on a $16 billion rail tunnel linking Midtown and New Jersey.

Democratic Rep. Adriano Espaillat of New York is endorsing Zohran Mamdani for mayor. Plus, supporters of federal Environmental Protection Agency employees who were put on leave last week are pushing the agency to reinstate them. Also, a decades-old Manhattan diner is closing its doors later this month. Meanwhile, a report from the Legal Aid Society suggests that New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services is subjecting families to more traumatic investigations than is really necessary. And finally, a woman whose son died while subway surfing is suing the social media companies that helped to popularize the dangerous trend.

The chemical company DuPont is agreeing to pay $27 million dollars to residents of Hoosick, New York whose water supply was contaminated with toxic chemicals. Meanwhile, New York City officials say a man who had been detained at Rikers Island died Wednesday while receiving treatment at Bellevue Hospital. Plus, on this week’s politics segment, WNYC reporters Brigid Bergin and Jimmy Vielkind give us an update on Zohran Mamdani’s new supporters, Andrew Cuomo’s future plans, and the governors race.

The Hochul administration warns that federal Medicaid cuts could hit the Bronx especially hard, threatening both health coverage and jobs in the borough. Meanwhile, in honor of Disability Pride Month, the Andrew Heiskell Library, New York City’s only braille and talking book library, is rolling out new electronic Braille readers. And in Brooklyn, a woman has filed notice of intent to sue the city, alleging police failed to intervene when a mob of Orthodox Jewish men surrounded her outside a Crown Heights synagogue after a protest of Israel’s security minister. She says she was not participating in the demonstration.

Former NYPD chiefs filed lawsuits against the department alleging the Adams administration allowed a system of corruption to take hold in the department. Plus, New Jersey Gov. Murphy's office says utility bills spiked 20% in June. Also, according to Fordham University's tick index, the risk of being bitten by a tick in the New York region this summer is high. And finally, the two-day Maker Park Music Festival kicks off this Friday.

A new artificial intelligence training center for New York City teachers is raising concerns among some educators about creating a harmful environment that stunts student learning and critical thinking. Meanwhile, the United Federation of Teachers has voted to endorse Zohran Mamdani in the mayoral election. Also, a WNYC analysis finds Mamdani won about 30 percent of districts that previously voted for Donald Trump. Data show many of the voters in those Trump-Mamdani neighborhoods are Asian American. WNYC’s Joe Hong has been speaking with some of those voters in Bensonhurst and Flushing. He discusses his findings.