Traffic jams, AirTags and GPS darts: How cops are trying to stop car theft

Plus: Tammy Murphy suspends Senate bid to replace Bob Menendez [View this email in a browser.]( Gothamist relies on your support to make local news available to all. Not yet a member? [Consider donating and join today.]( [Traffic jams, AirTags and GPS darts are all ways NY, NJ police are trying to stop car theft]( [first image]( [Today's newsletter is curated by James Ramsay]( Weather: ☀️ Sunny, with highs in the lower 50s. It's Monday in New York City, where the NYPD is shooting GPS darts, Batmobile-style, at stolen cars, hoping to track them down before they're moved across state lines — or even put on ships to Africa to be resold. More than 15,000 cars were reported stolen last year in the five boroughs, nearly triple the number from five years before. [Here are some of the high-tech and controversial ways police say they can bring down the numbers](. And here's what else is happening: - New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy [dropped out of the race for U.S. Senate]( explaining that "continuing in this race will involve waging a very divisive and negative campaign, which I am not willing to do." - Her main Democratic primary challenger, Rep. Andy Kim, said he'll [continue with his federal lawsuit to end the state’s unusual county line ballot system]( which gives an edge to primary candidates endorsed by county party committees. - Early voting is underway for New York’s April 2 presidential primary, and will run through Saturday, March 30. [Here's what you need to know to cast your ballot](. - Police said they're [investigating a double homicide in Manhattan and a third homicide in Brooklyn]( that left two teenagers and a 25-year-old dead on Sunday. - A Gothamist analysis of city housing data shows that new affordable housing development has been targeted at the city's poorest residents and families making up to $165,000 a year — but just 5% of new units since 2022 have been designated [for people earning what the city considers "moderate income."]( - Mayor Eric Adams canceled his trip to the southern border on Saturday after the U.S. State Department [raised safety concerns about a Mexican city]( he was scheduled to visit. - An ongoing stalemate between real estate developers and building trade unions is complicating state budget negotiations in Albany, where Gov. Kathy Hochul and state lawmakers [are trying to strike a deal on affordable housing policies]( after failing to reach one last year. - City Councilmember Justin Brannan said he’ll introduce legislation to give pizzerias a tax credit to install [legally required filters to remove emissions from wood- and coal-fired ovens](. - Tracks Raw Bar and Grill, once a beloved Penn Station haunt for Long Island Rail Road commuters, will open a location [inside Grand Central Madison](. - Ten community boards across Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens have now passed resolutions supporting "daylighting," the practice of [eliminating on-street parking spots at intersection corners]( in order to improve visibility. - Buffalo is going all in as a destination for [total eclipse viewing](. - Rep. Jamaal Bowman is criticizing his Democratic primary opponent, George Latimer, for holding [a fundraiser hosted by a convicted Wall Street bank fraudster](. - Saturday's [rainstorm caused a massive tree to collapse]( on 5th Avenue on the Upper East Side, crushing a Volvo. - Local journalist Errol Louis takes stock of [what needs to change in his neighborhood]( of Crown Heights, which has experienced a city-high four fatal shootings since the start of the year. - Ahead of the 2024 Olympics, Paris brought back its historic race where waiters jog a 1.2-mile course [while carrying a tray holding coffee and a croissant](. - Working as a software engineer or an ad sales associate at PornHub or OnlyFans might pay well, but some former employees said [having those names on their resume didn't help]( when it came to finding another job. - An obscure birder came out of nowhere to claim he spotted 10,000 species. The birding community [isn't buying it](. - Have some time for a game? [Play]( our mini local news crossword. - Sign up for reminders when we publish new games [here](. [“This was not going to be easy for her and in fact, it would have to be a very hard-fought fight to win this nomination, even though she had accumulated the party support in a majority of the state.”]( - Monmouth University pollster Patrick Murray on [TAMMY MURPHY DROPPING OUT OF HER SENATE RACE]( More from Gothamist [second image]( [Despite the chilly weather, NYC's cherry blossoms are beginning to bloom]( About 10% of the New York Botanical Garden’s 543 cherry blossom trees are in bloom, and a single tree is blossoming in Snug Harbor on Staten Island. Some cherry blossoms are also blooming in Central Park. [You've been summoned to serve on a New York City jury. Here's what to expect.]( Jury duty is one of the obligations New Yorkers dread the most — why else would prospective jurors on Staten Island pull out excuses like “my skin burns off monthly” and “I’m in a relationship and can’t do two things at once” to try to get out of it? We looked at how to make this a little less painful. [We Rely On Your Support]( [Port Authority approves 'game-changing' airport, transit link in Newark's South Ward]( The planned connection — which involves a pedestrian bridge from the neighborhood, over the the railroad tracks to the AirTrain Newark/Northeast Corridor Connector Rail complex — stands to benefit Newark and Elizabeth communities in a variety of ways. [The Whitney Biennial’s curators share the process of choosing this year’s art]( This year’s event, called “Even Better Than The Real Things,” features 71 artists, whose works include short films, sculpture and abstract painting. 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