Mayor Adams hit with federal subpoenas amid campaign probe

Plus: MTA to start ticketing drivers for blocking bus stops [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.]( [Mayor Eric Adams hit with federal subpoenas amid campaign probe]( [first image]( [Today's newsletter is curated by James Ramsay]( Weather: ☀️ Sunny, highs in the upper 80s. It's Friday in New York City, where Mayor Eric Adams has [received multiple federal subpoenas]( related to a sprawling investigation into his campaign's relationship with Turkish officials. While Adams' fundraising operation is [at the center of multiple investigations]( one question at the center of the FBI's probe is whether the mayor unfairly helped [expedite the opening of a Turkish consulate]( in Manhattan in exchange for donations. Here's what else is happening: - Starting Monday, MTA buses with automatic ticketing cameras will begin [fining drivers who illegally block bus stops]( or double park near them. - Police said they're searching for a group of masked robbers who've broken into dozens of buildings in Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx — including apartment complexes and laundromats — to [steal coin machines, merchandise, money and other property](. - Now five years after plans to build a charter school near Yankee Stadium were abandoned, [the vacant lot has become an illegal dumping ground]( filled with festering garbage and rats. - Buyers from outside the five boroughs — for example, [wealthy boomers buying condos for their kids]( — accounted for nearly a quarter of all New York City home purchases in the first half of 2024, according to a real estate research firm. - Officials in affluent Millburn Township, New Jersey, are asking a judge to pause a court-issued mandate that they begin constructing [an affordable housing development downtown](. - NJ Transit is [waiving fares for all riders]( between Aug. 26 and Sept. 2 as a way to say "thank you" (and sorry) after a summer of repeated service meltdowns. - New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is appointing his former chief of staff, George Helmy, [to temporarily fill the U.S. Senate seat]( soon to be vacated by Sen. Bob Menendez. - The world's largest rubber ducky is [coming to Westchester]( this weekend. - Landlords have registered tens of thousands of additional rent-regulated New York City apartments this year as the state begins a crackdown on property owners who [illegally rent out regulated units at market rates](. - A big New York Times investigation found that Shen Yun, the propaganda dance show put on by Chinese religious group Falun Gong, [has been emotionally abusing dancers]( and forcing them to perform through injuries. - Hurricane Ernesto is expected to bring [dangerous waves and rip currents]( to city beaches this weekend. - It's that time of year when Lower Manhattan is [very empty]( [very demure](. - Not sure where everyone went, but [apparently not]( Burning Man. - Correction: On July 2nd, this newsletter featured a Gothamist article about helicopter noise. That story and its headline drew inaccurate conclusions about helicopter traffic over Memorial Day weekend and the potential impact of proposed legislation targeting some Manhattan helipads. It also misstated the days that the helipads operate. The story has been significantly revised and can be seen [here](. - (Also: Sorry if this newsletter [drags on too long]( [“To be clear, we have not identified any evidence of illegal conduct by the Mayor.”]( - Brendan McGuire, a lawyer for the Adams campaign, on [THEIR OWN INTERNAL INVESTIGATION]( More from Gothamist [second image]( [Where can you buy weed legally in NYC? Use this map and other tips.]( For those who prefer legal cannabis or seek a reliable vendor that isn’t at risk of shutdown, Gothamist has created a map of the city’s legal dispensaries and a handy guide to New York’s marijuana market. ['Substantial risk of death': Feds order MTA to improve safety standards for NYC subway]( Federal regulators have ordered the MTA to improve its safety protocols in the subways, citing a troubling rise in the number of incidents where transit workers and riders were nearly struck by trains last year. [We Rely On Your Support]( [You can hitch a ride to Rockaway Beach on a Ramones-themed NYC ferry]( Select ferries leaving from Wall Street/Pier 11, Sunset Park and Rockaway at midday on Friday and Saturday will play music by the seminal Queens punk band, host raffles for Ramones prizes from Rhino Records, offer free samples of Rockaway Soda and give out stickers celebrating the 50th anniversary of the band’s first CBGB show. [It's illegal to cheat on your spouse in NY. Will Gov. Kathy Hochul change that?]( For the last 117 years, adultery has had a spot in New York’s penal code as a class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to 90 days in jail. But that may not be the case for much longer. 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