Early Addition: Preserving NYC's migratory bird habitats

Also, 18 people injured in two-bus crash. [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.]( [Migratory birds love New York Harbor islands, but humans are forcing them out]( [first image]( [by Emily Nadal]( Happy Friday from New York City where our waters are a hot date spot for migratory birds. Each year, [the birds return to islands around the city to nest]( while researchers pay them a visit to keep track of their habits. Compared to last year, the number of nests are up, but there’s been an overall decline in the amount of species annually returning to the area. Here’s what else is happening: - A double-decker bus [crashed into an MTA bus]( near Gramercy Park Thursday night, injuring at least 18 people. The reason for the crash was not yet known. - The family of a 53-year-old man who was fatally struck by an NYPD van in Brooklyn last year [filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the department]( and is pushing for the officers involved to be fired, according to court documents. - Uber, DoorDash and GrubHub have banded together to [file lawsuits against the city over the new minimum wage policy]( for delivery workers, arguing that the new rule would be bad news for both delivery workers and customers. - Temperatures have been rising in the city over the past decade, as have [heat-related deaths which account for about 2%]( of all deaths in NYC between May and September. - Under a new law in NYC, companies will have to prove the AI software they use as part of their hiring process [is not sexist or racist.]( - NYC is struggling to preserve its diminishing manufacturing sector, even though recent policies have been implemented to help protect it. With high real estate costs, no space and industry competition, [many factories are just not staying in the city.]( - Britney Spears [filed a police report]( claiming she was slapped by basketball star Victor Wenbanyama’s bodyguard in Las Vegas while attempting to speak to him. - The air quality on Thursday was bad again, but this time it wasn’t due to fireworks or wildfires, [it was just classic pollution]( a mix of stagnant air, heat, humidity, and car and factory emissions. - Some people have had enough of outdoor dining, so much so that they [filed a lawsuit against the city]( arguing that the Open Streets program is no longer legal. - There were [fewer shootings on July 4th]( this year than the same period last year, according to the NYPD, following a citywide trend of an overall drop in shootings. - Drones are [being used to monitor]( Long Island shores after a slew of shark attacks in the past few days and an overall increase in the number of shark encounters over the past few years. - He may have been born in New Orleans, but Louis Armstrong was very much a New Yorker later in life, and a [new expansion to his Queens house museum]( showcases that and more. “A lot of these birds, especially colonial nesting waterbirds, are very sensitive to having human presence on the island. It's going to prevent the birds from returning to this habitat.” - Shannon Curley, coordinator for the NYC Audubon Harbor Herons Survey, [DISCUSSING ONE REASON SOME MIGRATORY BIRDS AREN'T RETURNING TO NEW YORK.]( More from Gothamist [second image]( [Feds commit $6.8B for new Hudson River tunnels, potential opening by 2035]( The federal government has vowed to put up $6.88 billion for New York and New Jersey’s plan to build two new rail tunnels beneath the Hudson River. [Mayor Adams names pair to lead NYC's troubled public housing agency]( NYCHA's interim CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt will assume the top job on a permanent basis, while a former state housing commissioner will serve as board chair. [We Rely On Your Support]( [What 250K NYC retirees can expect from Medicare Advantage as opt-out deadline approaches]( Tens of thousands of retired New York City workers and their dependents have until Monday to decide whether to opt out of a new privatized Medicare plan that’s slated to replace their existing coverage in the fall. [Is NYC ready for summer heat? An environmental watchdog doesn’t think so.]( A Q&A with Eddie Bautista, executive director of the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance who says the city isn't ready for summer heat. [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.