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One NYCHA unit was apparently illegally occupied by a member of a gang called Sex Money Murder, a discovery that came to light when the NYPD discovered he had been fatally shot inside.
Another unit in The Bronx was littered with trash, and the unauthorized tenant was arrested for child neglect.
Those are among the 600 vacant NYCHA apartments that have been taken over by squatters over the past few years, according to an explosive new report from the Department of Investigation.
Overall, empty NYCHA apartments grew from 2,800 to 6,700 from January 2022 to May 2025, even as 165,000 applicants are stuck on its waiting list, desperate for affordable housing.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 48. Possible rain late at night.
MTA 🚇
In the Bronx and Upper Manhattan, no downtown 1 trains between 238 St. and 207 St. Find all the MTA’s planned changes and the latest delays here.
Alternate side parking 🚙
It’s in effect today, March 4.
By the way…
The city has given New Yorkers ages 14 to 24 more time to apply for the Summer Youth Employment Program. The deadline is now March 13.
Our Other Top Stories
Neighborhoods in Manhattan, The Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens will be the first to get free 2-K seats for 2-year-olds this fall, the first stage of a rollout that will grow to 12,000 spots. See if your school district is on the list.
Holly Diamond is using artificial intelligence to improve the menu and streamline hiring at her self-described “hole in the wall” Korean barbecue restaurant in Flatiron run by her parents, who speak limited English. While artificial intelligence has come under scrutiny as some tech giants have slashed jobs in anticipation, some NYC small businesses are harnessing it to take on new tasks — without eliminating workers.
A big, fat F. That’s the grade the city got for its woeful efforts to expand the number of bus and bike lanes at a feisty City Council hearing Tuesday. New DOT commissioner Mike Flynn, who inherited the backlog, was put on blast to fix the problem. “We want to see significant improvement,” said Councilmember Lincoln Restler (D-Brooklyn).
Reporter’s Notebook
Congestions Pricing Still Lives
A federal judge put a spike Tuesday in President Trump’s attempt to terminate congestion pricing. Judge Lewis Liman ruled that the Manhattan vehicle-tolling program launched in early 2025 is constitutional and can continue. Trump targeted the tolls last February, proclaiming “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD” and “LONG LIVE THE KING!” in social media posts.
“The judge's decision is clear: Donald Trump's unlawful attempts to trample on the self-governance of his home state have failed spectacularly,” Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement. “Congestion pricing is legal, it works and it is here to stay.”
Hochul and MTA officials have repeatedly touted gains under the tolling system, including reduced gridlock, faster buses, cleaner air and fewer noise complaints. The policy, which raises billions for transit improvements, has repeatedly faced legal challenges, with federal Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy at one point threatening to withhold funding on key New York projects.
MTA head Janno Lieber singled out Duffy in a statement celebrating Liman’s decision. “Today — once again — Secretary Duffy failed and New York is winning,” he said.
— Jose Martinez
Things To Do
Here’s what’s going on around the city this week.
Wednesday, March 4: Attend the opening reception of NYU’s Orwell & Truth: The Legacy of Author George Orwell, a biographical exhibition featuring rare archival materials from University College London's George Orwell Archive. Free, from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday, March 4: Temple University history professor Bench Ansfield discusses their book on the wave of arson-for-profit that swept The Bronx and U.S. cities in the 1970s. RSVP here, free at 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 5: Gladstone Gallery in Chelsea presents an exhibition of 16 large-scale, limited-edition photographs by American photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. Free, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
THE KICKER: A small plane with two people inside safely crash-landed into the Hudson River on Monday night, sustaining no major injuries.
Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Wednesday.
Love,
THE CITY
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