WORLD WORLDWIDE US USA - New York NY - New York City NYC - THE CITY SCOOP - Food rescue saves the day for pantry customers following federal funding cuts.

 ​

TUESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2025

Today's SCOOP is brought to you by our members.

Dear New Yorkers,

The sudden elimination earlier this year of a federal emergency food funding program took the operators of pantries and other providers for food-insecure New Yorkers by surprise. Many have responded by bringing in surplus from the Hunts Point Produce Market in The Bronx — items that the wholesalers there want to offload because it won’t keep long enough to satisfy supermarket owners.

For nearly two years, the organization Sharing Excess has operated from inside the market, streamlining what had been an array of organizations making deals to pick up tons of fruits, vegetables and other items that otherwise would have been thrown out. Since the U.S. Department of Agriculture halted a widely used grant program, demand for the surplus food supplies has grown steadily, as cost-burdened New Yorkers line up to obtain free bags of groceries.

“Great!” said one customer, after being informed about where her haul had come from. “If it’s gonna get damaged, you might as well give it to those who need it.”

Read more here.

Weather ☀️☁️

Mostly sunny with a high near 84 during the day and mostly cloudy with a low around 72 in the evening.

MTA 🚇

In the Bronx, Manhattan-bound 6 trains skip St Lawrence Ave., Morrison Ave.-Soundview, Elder Ave. and Whitlock Ave. from today to Friday between 9:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Find all the MTA’s planned changes and the latest delays here.

Alternate side parking 🚙

It’s in effect today, August 5.

By the way…

Here’s advice on how to protect against three summer health threats — floods, mosquitoes and ticks — in New York City.

Our Other Top Stories

Following a violent assault that has sparked outrage and demands for sweeping reform, former state correction officer Christopher Walrath was sentenced to 15 years in prison Monday for his role in the beatdown death of handcuffed inmate Robert Brooks inside a prison medical ward last year. “In that video, I see you and your fellow officers treating him as if his life holds no value at all, as if you’re entitled to brutalize him for sport,” his son Robert Brooks Jr. said in court. Andrew Cuomo pushed out a public safety plan as part of his mayoral campaign, vowing to step up NYPD recruitment and bulk up a special unit that responds to crisis situations but has been accused of stifling legitimate public protest. In the aftermath of a terrible shooting, mayoral candidates Eric Adams and Andrew Cuomo both said it was a moment to rise above politics, when they weren’t taking cheap shots at rival Zohran Mamdani. Hosts Katie Honan and Harry Siegel discuss all that and much more on the latest edition of the FAQ NYC podcast — including how a “no moshing” sign led Katie to Queens’ legacy as America’s sweater capital.

Things To Do

Here are some free and low-cost things going on around the city this week.

Tuesday, August 5: Sit back and catch a free screening of “Love and Basketball” starring Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps at Bella Abzug Park in Hell’s Kitchen starting at 8 p.m.    Tuesday, August 5: Come unwind with the mesmerizing harmonies of the Alegría Ensemble, part of the free World Music Concert series in collaboration with the Queens College School of Arts, Forest Park Trust and NYC Parks, Forest Park from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, August 5: The Brooklyn Action Theater's inaugural production of "The Chess Fight," where the audience experiences a game of chess from an entirely new perspective — the board — will be taking place on the Harbor View Lawn at Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park starting at 7:15 p.m.  Wednesday, August 6: Girls across the city are invited to join NYC Parks for basketball clinics at Willis Playground to develop and improve participants’ basketball skills and fundamentals. The first session, for girls ages 8 to 11, begins at 11 a.m. and the second session, for girls ages 12 to 14, begins at 3 p.m.

THE KICKER: An earthquake with a 3.0 magnitude hit New Jersey and surrounding areas including Queens this past weekend.

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

Love,

THE CITY

PS. Love THE CITY? Our nonprofit newsroom is powered by readers like you. Donate here.

Want to view Scoop in your web browser? Click here.

THE CITY's work is made possible, in part, through the support of our sponsors. Interested in becoming a sponsor of THE CITY? Contact us here.  Copyright © 2024 THE CITY, All rights reserved.