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Dear New Yorkers,

Hart Island, a 100-plus acre expanse in the Long Island Sound, just east of City Island, has served as the city’s burial ground since 1869. More than a million bodies of unclaimed New Yorkers, and those whose families cannot afford funeral arrangements, are buried there in mass graves.

Gloria James, 30, recalled her first trip to Hart Island to visit the burial site of her father, a retired Parks Department employee interred there because she couldn’t afford funeral arrangements: the mass grave in which he was placed was still open to the air. On a subsequent visit, an employee led her to the wrong gravesite to mourn.

Reformers have been pushing to end mass burials on Hart Island. Yet in recent months, the city has increased the number of bodies in each of the island’s mass graves.

Now, as many 200 caskets are buried in each trench — up from a previously standard 150 caskets. And critics say that even if the city is in the process of soliciting public input on the future of the island, expanding mass graves suggests it’s already decided to continue with a burial system that’s been in place since just after the Civil War ended.

Read more here about Hart Island.

Weather scoop by New York Metro Weather Wednesday's Weather Rating: 10/10. Beautiful this morning and warming up later with high temperatures in the mid to upper 70s. Gorgeous sunshine, low dew points, and a great breeze. The vibes are STILL immaculate out there.

Our Other Top Stories

Yesterday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn revealed that it has charged a former high-level official in Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office with unlawfully acting as an unregistered agent for the Chinese government and money laundering, among other offenses. Linda Sun worked for years for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration before working for Hochul. Sun allegedly sought to influence both administrations toward positions favorable to the Chinese government. With our partners at Documented, THE CITY got Chinese community leaders’ reactions to the news. New York Fashion Week starts this Friday — but the chances of young designers breaking through and growing businesses in the city are increasingly slim, according to a new report from the Partnership for New York City. The number of people employed in fashion-related jobs in New York City has declined by almost 30% in the last decade. On the latest episode of the FAQ NYC podcast, the hosts dig into the mayor’s insistence on seeing through the nomination of Randy Mastro as chief lawyer for the city — even after lawmakers made it clear they wouldn’t approve his nominee. Other topics include what a second Trump administration would mean for New York, the possibility of a Democratic challenge to Gov. Kathy Hochul, and more. Listen here.

Reporter’s Notebook

Comptroller Unveils Employer Violations Dashboard

Want to know if a company is messing over its employees by violating the city’s Paid Sick Leave law or failing to provide legally required heads up for staffing schedules?

City Comptroller Brad Lander this week launched a Employer Violations Dashboard portal where people can “track and analyze workplace violations in the five boroughs across federal, state, and city government enforcement agencies.”

The wall of shame dashboard explains multiple labor protections and lists employers with the most violations.

“When companies steal their workers wages, commit unfair labor practices or put workers’ lives at risk, the public should be able to clearly see it,” said Lander, who is running for mayor.

On Labor Day, THE CITY detailed how a slew of businesses, including Starbucks and Shake Shack, have been fined thousands of dollars for violating the city’s paid leave law, which requires any company with more than five employees to provide at least five sick days per year.

— Reuven Blau

Things To Do

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

Wednesday, Sept. 4: An outdoor film screening of the biopic “Selena.” Free from 8 to 10 p.m. on the Central Lawn in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Thursday, Sept. 5: Accordions Around the World, an annual outdoor performance by celebrated accordionists. Free from 7 to 10 p.m. at Bryant Park in Manhattan. Saturday, Sept. 7: Jazz Explorations Trio 2024, a musical performance featuring original compositions as well as reimagined jazz standards. Free from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Queens Museum.

THE KICKER: The NYC Ferry is offering new discounts to high school students, effective this month.

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

Love,

THE CITY

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