Is NYC facing a ‘squatter’ problem? Lawyers on both sides say no.

Plus: How to get a coveted 'crookie' [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.]( [Is NYC really facing a ‘squatter’ problem? Lawyers on both sides say no.]( [first image]( [Today's newsletter is curated by James Ramsay]( Weather: 🌧️ A ["multi-hazard storm system"]( is bringing heavy rain and wind gusts up to 60 mph, with highs in the mid 40s. It's Wednesday in New York City, where tabloids, talk shows and TikTok have recently been abuzz with tales of "squatters" taking over people's homes. But attorneys for both landlords and tenants say it's extremely rare for anyone to break into a vacant home and refuse to leave. Here's how a more tedious issue — the monthslong process for evicting a tenant — [morphed into fearmongering about squatters](. And here's what else is happening: - The city's transportation department said it'll turn sections of [53 streets into car-free zones]( on April 20 in honor of Earth Day. - The MTA is touting Grand Central Madison's next-to-nil crime rate as a reason for businesses to [rent one of the terminal's 32 retail spaces](. - New York's legislative staff union, which represents some 370 City Council staffers, is [on the verge of landing its first contract]( after nearly two years of bargaining. - Police said [a 2-year-old child has died]( after a fire ripped through his Washington Heights home and sent him and his two siblings to the hospital last month. - New Jerseyans in the market for electric vehicles will soon need to navigate a shifting set of fees and incentives. [Here's what you need to know]( before buying an EV. - What's the deal with those orange pipes sticking up out of the city's streets that spew clouds of steam and look cool in movies? [The New York Times has a handy explainer](. - The AI-powered weapon scanners the NYPD plans to test in subway stations were previously used at Jacobi Hospital in the Bronx, where the machines beeped 26% of the time someone walked through. Among those alarms, [85% were false positives]( 14% were cops and 0.57% were actually non-law enforcement people with some type of weapon. - Congestions pricing tolls are set to take effect in June — as long as [these last-minute lawsuits]( on behalf of angry drivers don't delay things further. - The FBI and NYPD on Tuesday were once again snooping around two upstate horse farms where they'd previously [searched for missing bodies]( connected to a mafia investigation. - Mayor Eric Adams defended top NYPD brass who've been [tweeting personal attacks at journalists]( attributing the posts to the fact that they're mourning the death of NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller. - Lee "Crazy Cabbie" Siegfried, a longtime regular guest on "The Howard Stern Show," has [died at the age of 55](. - The White House is giving NASA until 2026 to come up with a way to [tell time on the moon](. - Meanwhile, on Earth, [dudes are lovin' sticks](. - Have some time for a game? [Play]( our mini local news crossword. - Sign up for reminders when we publish new games [here](. [“It’s not like all of a sudden a lot of squatter cases are coming in. I don’t see cases like that increasing.”]( - Jae Lee, a Queens-based lawyer who represents owners and renters, on [THE SENSATIONALIZED STORIES ABOUT "SQUATTERS"]( More from Gothamist [second image]( [So you want a crookie. Here’s how to get one in NYC.]( Several New York City bakeries are selling the cookie-croissant hybrid, which started in 2022 at a Paris bakery called Boulangerie Louvard. [Why are Broadway tickets so expensive right now? It’s not just inflation.]( The average ticket price for a Broadway show has reached an all time high: $128, according to the Broadway League. Blame labor costs, lumber costs, "dynamic pricing," Bette Midler and the fact that rich people will pay any price to see a show. [We Rely On Your Support]( [NYC delivery workers now make $19 an hour, but many say apps have made tipping harder]( New York City’s food delivery workers will now receive a minimum of $19.56 an hour, as part of a 2021 law that establishes better base wages for the more than 65,000 drivers and cyclists delivering food to New Yorkers’ doorsteps. [Even Beyoncé is in on the Bushwick look. But what exactly is it?]( It's mullets, but also much more. [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Twitter]( [New York Public Radio] [WNYC]( | [WQXR]( | [NJPR]( | [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( | [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. All rights reserved. 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013 [TERMS OF USE]( You can update your [PREFERENCES]( or [UNSUBSCRIBE]( from this list.