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WEDNESDAY, July 23, 2025

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

Dear New Yorkers,

On day one back in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on “defending women from gender ideology extremism” and “restoring biological truth” — requiring that government-issued IDs only acknowledge male or female and match the bearer’s sex assigned at birth.

The action instantly created a crisis for trans people and prompted legal action to protect their rights — leading to a reprieve. But now is a good time for gender nonconforming people who are considering obtaining, renewing or updating a passport to get their paperwork in, under a court-supervised process that directs the federal government to follow applicants’ specified gender identity.

If you or someone you know needs to learn more about what the new passport application for trans people involves, THE CITY has put together a guide to how to apply and what you need to do to get documented. Read more here.

Weather ⛅

Mostly sunny throughout the day with a high around 82 and a low near 76.

MTA 🚇

In the Bronx, Wakefield-bound 2 trains skip 219 St., 225 St., 233 St. and Nereid Ave from July 23 to 24 from 9:15 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, July 23.

By the way…

In case you missed it, here’s how public defenders work and who is eligible for a free attorney in NYC.

Our Other Top Stories

Why did Brad Lander let the city pension funds’ longtime investments in State of Israel bonds lapse? The city comptroller says his office doesn’t invest in foreign government debt as a rule — but that hasn’t stopped a top deputy to Mayor Eric Adams from demanding a full accounting and labeling Lander as part of the movement to undermine Israel, digging in during an election year. In a sweeping shift years in the making, people locked up in state prisons will soon be able to make free phone calls to family members and loved ones, the state prison system announced Tuesday. People behind bars can use their tablets or facility phones without any fees starting on Aug. 1 — ending years of burdensome costs for friends and family members. We want to hear from you, our readers! What about our reporting do you find most helpful? Where do you best like to read our work? And what would you like to see more of from our journalists? Please help us out by taking our reader survey.

Reporter’s Notebook

Access Upgrades for 12 More Subway Stations

The MTA on Tuesday identified a dozen more subway stations that will receive accessibility upgrades as part of its record $7.1 billion commitment to put at least an additional 65 stops in line with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Standing outside the 2, 3, 4 and 5 lines’ Franklin Avenue-Medgar Evers College station — which is among those to be equipped with elevators — transit officials said the completion of the next round of accessibility work will make nearly half of all stops ADA compliant.

“Folks, we are not your grandparents’, your parents’ MTA,” said Quemuel Arroyo, the agency’s chief accessibility officer. “We are moving on this agenda five times faster than anyone who came before us because we know the impact, we know what this means for everyday New Yorkers, families and visitors to get around.”

The MTA had previously listed 43 stations set to become ADA-compliant under its more than $68 billion capital plan for 2025-2029. In 2022, the agency settled a lawsuit that requires 95% of all subway and Staten Island Railway stations to be accessible by 2055.

— Jose Martinez

Things To Do

Here are some free and low-cost things to do around the city this week.

Wednesday, July 23: The Grammy Award-winning Catalyst Quartet is playing a free show at Madison Square Park as part of the Carnegie Hall Citywide concert series starting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 23: The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, located at Lincoln Center, is celebrating its 60th anniversary with a silent disco party from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. highlighting music from the Library’s archive from each decade of its existence.  Thursday, July 24: The Museum of the City of New York and El Museo del Barrio are hosting the Uptown Bounce block party for its twelfth iteration from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with live performances, arcade games, dancing and free access to exhibits.

THE KICKER: The Department of Justice sold the only copy of legendary Staten Island rap collective Wu Tang Clan’s album, Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, for $2.23 million to a company incorporated in Hong Kong after seizing it from “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli.

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

Love,

THE CITY

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