Early Addition: Broker fees are skyrocketing

City Council is trying to charge landlords. [View this email in a browser.]( [Get a T-Shirt When You Donate!]( Gothamist relies on your support to make news available to all. This month only: You'll get a t-shirt when you become a member. [Donate Now]( [NYC broker fees are skyrocketing. The City Council is trying to put the fees on landlords.]( [first image]( [by Emily Nadal]( Happy Friday in New York City where real estate broker fees are out of control and City Councilmember Chi Ossé wants to change that by [shifting responsibility from tenant to landlord.]( Here's what else is happening: - The air quality alert issued for New York has been [extended again until Friday night.]( An advisory for New Jersey, where the air quality has been worse than the city, ended Thursday evening, despite some areas still experiencing poor conditions. - Wildfire smoke may be the reason for a [sudden influx of gnats]( all over the city that are becoming a nuisance, but scientists have yet to confirm the exact cause of the bug swarm. - A Bushwick nightclub is [keeping ballroom culture alive and thriving]( creating inclusive, unapologetically queer spaces amid a tense political environment. - On Monday, the MTA will [reopen 36 more bathrooms in subway stations]( that were closed during the pandemic, with dozens more slated to be reopened by Labor Day. - As part of a crackdown on lithium ion batteries, a [Chinatown e-bike shop was vacated]( after the FDNY found over 100 improperly charged and stored batteries. Officials called the shop a “ticking time bomb.” - Travis Scott will not face criminal charges for the [crowd surge of his 2021 Astroworld concert]( that left 10 people dead. - The Supreme Court ruled yesterday that colleges and universities cannot use race as a factor in admissions. Lee Bollinger, outgoing president of Columbia University, says the [decision sets schools on an unfortunate “different path,”]( away from providing opportunities for underrepresented students. - A group of Staten Island firefighters, who desperately needed extra help while fighting a blaze earlier this year, [plan to sue the city over a mandate]( that forced the nearest firehouse to close for medical check ups, delaying assistance that almost cost two of the firefighters their lives. - A former New Jersey political operative was [sentenced to 24 years to life for hiring two hitmen]( to kill his friend in 2014 after the friend threatened to expose campaign secrets. - Gov. Kathy Hochul signed off on a New York State Police [request to raise the maximum age for new hires from 29 to 34]( as the agency expands recruitment efforts. - Reserve tickets will be [available on weekends and holidays this summer for the NYC ferry to Rockaway Beach]( which guarantees a spot on the boat during busier times. The Rockaway Rocket, which shuttles riders between Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6 and Rockaway, will also return for four weeks on Aug. 12. - A new study shows that a torn ACL [may be able to heal itself]( but surgeons aren’t so sure. - Workers at another Barnes & Noble store voted to unionize, this time the Park Slope location, [making it the third to do so in the New York area.]( - AI has the power to do tremendous good in the world — like using it to [make phone bots that annoy telemarketers.]( - But it also has the power to do really weird things, like [infiltrate Amazon’s bestseller book list]( with bizarre AI-generated titles. “You're just paying someone to open a door for you to a listing that you sent them. Why would anyone want to pay that?” - Benton McClintock, an NYC tenant, who paid a $9,000 broker fee, [DISCUSSING THE OUTRAGEOUS COST of MOVING IN THE CITY.]( More from Gothamist [second image]( [MTA rolls out more modern trains on NYC subway]( Since March, just one train made up of the agency’s newest subway cars — called R211s — has [operated on the A line](. The MTA said a second new train has hit the tracks, making it easier for straphangers to take a ride in one of the modern cars. [10 ways to celebrate the 4th of July around NYC this week]( The official Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks celebration attracts the most attention in New York City, but there’s plenty more going on in and around town during the week leading up to Independence Day. [We Rely On Your Support]( [Lifeguard shortage persists as NYC pools open]( The city’s outdoor pool season kicked off on Thursday amid a dire shortage of hundreds of lifeguards. [Charges dropped against accused J train stabber who claimed self-defense]( A Brooklyn grand jury declined to indict Jordan Williams for manslaughter and weapons charges for the fatal stabbing of DeVictor Ouedraogo, 36, aboard the subway on June 13, the district attorney’s office confirmed. [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.