Violent crime often surges in August. Not this year.

Plus: Mayor Adams says he's in his 'Job moment' [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.]( [NYC had significantly fewer homicides and shootings in August compared to past years]( [first image]( [Today's newsletter is curated by James Ramsay]( Weather: ☀️ Mostly sunny and highs in the upper 70s — perfect conditions for WNYC's 100th anniversary live broadcast from SummerStage in Central Park, which [starts tonight at 7 p.m. at Rumsey Playfield and is free to attend](. It's Monday in New York City, where gun violence typically spikes in August, as the hot weather draws people and large gatherings outside. But this year was different. Shooting incidents last month were the lowest seen since record-keeping began in 1994, and the number of murder victims was the lowest recorded in more than three decades. Here's why experts think [gun violence is down overall — even as certain precincts see stubbornly high shooting figures](. And here's what else is happening: - As federal investigations loom over Mayor Eric Adams' administration, he visited a pair of Brooklyn churches on Sunday and [compared himself to Job]( — the biblical figure known for enduring tragedy as a test of his faith in God. - [Here's what we know so far]( about last week's FBI raids and the ongoing investigations into Mayor Adams' inner circle. - Transit advocates, still incensed by Gov. Kathy Hochul’s pause on congestion pricing, rallied yesterday to highlight [the need for accessibility upgrades]( that the tolling program was intended to fund. - The city parks department said it plans to crack down on [people who abandon animals]( (e.g. [alligators]( in green spaces. - A new Gothamist analysis found that six of the seven New Yorkers who drowned at city beaches this summer lived in districts where [fewer than half of residents have access to swimming facilities]( within 15 minutes by public transit. - Coney Island’s Cyclone roller-coaster [finally reopened over the weekend]( after it was shut down following a malfunction last month. - Chain restaurants and coffee shops around the city will [soon need to display warning labels]( for all menu items containing at least 50 grams of added sugar. - Mayor Adams is now saying a cellphone ban for all New York City public schools [could take effect in September 2025](. - "This is not good": Zach Iscol, the commissioner of the city's Office of Emergency Management, told his staff last Friday that the investigations into the mayor's team [could undermine the department's work](. - The Indo-Caribbean community in Richmond Hill, Queens, is [pumped about Kamala Harris](. - A new podcast called "Empire City" investigates [the history of the NYPD]( going back to a group of officers who kidnapped emancipated Black New Yorkers and sold them into slavery. - As summer winds down, Hell Hate salutes the [surf instructor-bar owner-unofficial Rockaway mayor]( Michael "Kook Mike" Kololyan. - Several Jersey City schools are [banning phones]( in response to incidents of bullying and harassment. - "Chuck Schumer, Anthony Weiner, Bill de Blasio attend John Catsimatidis 76th birthday and WABC radio gala": [Good pictures here](. - What we learned from NFL Week 1: New York Giants back-up quarterback Tommy DeVito's agent, Sean Stellato, [gets his signature fedora hats from a Crown Heights shop]( that primarily caters to the Orthodox Jewish community. - Men eat [too much meat](. [“When animals are released in the park that are not adapted to survive in the wild and not native to our habitats, not only do they not survive, but they can harm the wildlife that does depend on the park for habitat.”]( - Prospect Park Alliance president Morgan Monaco on [ILLEGAL DUMPING OF ANIMALS IN CITY PARKS]( More from Gothamist [second image]( [New York Fashion Week is back, but the industry is bleeding jobs and influence]( In the last decade, the city’s vaunted fashion industry has lost more than 50,000 jobs, according to a new report by the business group Partnership for New York City. [Gov. Hochul says NY has ‘successfully’ funded the MTA for over a century. Huh?]( The history of the MTA can be told through projects that were abandoned due to lack of funding — and Hochul’s pause of congestion pricing fits squarely in that history of unrealized ambition. [We Rely On Your Support]( [Pop-up photo display of NYC immigrants aims to counter a ‘hijacked’ narrative]( Portraits of 25 immigrant New Yorkers will appear at 200 subway platforms and about 20 other locations throughout the city as part of a new public art campaign. [Why do New Yorkers see psychics, and who are they? A new documentary explores the field]( “Look Into My Eyes,” which is now showing at Film Forum, follows seven New York City psychics who help clients find forgiveness, love and closure. Director Lana Wilson joined WNYC's "All Of It" to discuss the film. [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.