WORLD WORLDWIDE USA New York NY New York City NYC the city THE CITY News Journal Update - Legionnaires’ in NYCHA, straw donor guilty, World Cup

 

Dear New Yorkers,

A public housing tenant has died due to complications associated with Legionnaires’ disease likely contracted at a New York City Housing Authority development.

The person was a resident of the Langston Hughes Houses in Brownsville — where the water is now the subject of ongoing testing — and died in July. A second resident had tested positive this January for Legionella, the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease. That resident did not die.

Legionella is not an issue in drinking water, but it can be transmitted via water vapor caused by steadily running water that occurs during showers or while filling up a tub or sink.

At resident meetings last week, health department staff offered advice on how to minimize the chances of getting the disease.

Elderly and vulnerable residents were advised not to take showers and to fill the tub slowly for baths. They were also told to run the tap at a trickle while washing dishes in the sink, and to contact a doctor if they experience symptoms that include fever, chills, muscle aches or a cough.

“I’m upset. You just don’t know,” said Chanell, a 40-year-old resident who declined to give her last name.

“They said you could still use the water to cook but, it’s like, ‘you scared,’” she added, noting that city officials told them the disruption could last for two months or more.

Read more about Legionnaires’ disease in NYCHA developments here.

Weather scoop by New York Metro Weather Tuesday's Weather Rating: 5/10. Sunshine dominates again today (not complaining), but it's chillier than yesterday with a noticeable northerly breeze and highs near 40° F. Grab that winter coat, the vibes are all right!

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Dwayne Montgomery, a longtime ally of Mayor Eric Adams, pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy charges and admitted that he raised thousands of dollars in illegal “straw” donations for the mayor’s 2021 campaign. The goal of the scheme was to yield public matching funds by shielding the true source of the contributions. Montgomery is a former NYPD inspector who has known Adams for years from the mayor’s days in the police department; he pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor conspiracy charge and agreed to pay a $500 fine and perform 200 hours of community service.  Speaking of: THE CITY has uncovered several other cases of donors to Adams’ campaign admitting that they were reimbursed, most recently with three donors to the mayor’s 2025 re-election campaign saying they had their contributions paid for by hotel and construction executives with potential business before City Hall. Will the mayor, who’s been sensitive to critics who say he’s come up short in Albany, fare any better this year? The FAQ NYC podcast hosts discuss that, the dark and distorted ways local New York City news is showing up nationally as the presidential election gets underway, and much more. Listen here.

Reporter’s Notebook

World Cup Math

The numbers are certainly impressive. The eight World Cup games to be played at MetLife Stadium in 2026 will generate $2 billion in economic activity, support 14,000 jobs and bring one million visitors to the New York region, Mayor Eric Adams claimed Sunday when it was announced the final would be played in New Jersey.

The Mayor’s Office did not provide requested details on how it calculated the figures. But here’s why one should empty the salt shaker on the economic impact claims.

First, how much of that spending is direct and how much indirect, the latter meaning an economic boost as the money spent by visitors rolls through the economy? We don’t know. Indirect figures are calculated by using an estimated multiplier effect, and without knowing how big that multiplier is, there is no way to know how much wishful thinking is going on.

Then there is what economists call “displacement” — duplication of activity that would have happened regardless. When the Super Bowl was played in MetLife in 2014, the estimate of $500 to $600 million in economic boost was based on the fact that hotels were usually half filled in February, projecting no displacement. The World Cup games are in June, when hotels are close to being filled. So how much displacement will there be? Again, we don’t know.

Will the World Cup be a boost to the region? Yes. A $2 billion boost? Probably not.

— Greg David

Things To Do

Here’s what’s going on around the city this week.

Friday, Feb. 9: Cartooning for Kids, a place to learn the basic shapes to shore up cartooning skills. Free from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Poe Park Visitor Center in The Bronx.  Saturday, Feb. 10: A St. Valentines event where you can “mingle with other creators and crafters” while creating intricate valentines. There is a suggested $5 donation, and the event runs from 12 to 4 p.m. at the Alice Austen House Museum in Staten Island. Sunday, Feb. 11: A Lunar New Year celebration to celebrate the Year of the Dragon, featuring folk dances, Peking opera and traditional arts-and-crafts. Free with museum admission from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Queens Museum.

THE KICKER: A neighborhood bagel shop on Brooklyn’s Court Street recently shut down — then mysteriously reopened with its menu, equipment and staff virtually unchanged. The only thing it was missing was its former owner.

Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Tuesday.

Love,

THE CITY

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