Is Central Jersey a real place?

Also, the City Council gets strict with Adams. [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.]( [Central Jersey may soon be on a state map, but debate over its existence lives on]( [first image]( [by Emily Nadal]( Today's weather: This is not the relief from the heat I wanted. It's a [stormy morning today]( with some parts of NY and NJ under flood advisories until 10:15 a.m. We can expect a high of 86 degrees and a low of 72 degrees. Happy Friday morning from New York City where our New Jersey neighbors are trying really hard to make an official “Central Jersey” region happen. It may seem silly to some people to fight so hard for such a seemingly inconsequential recognition, but proud middle state residents say they deserve as much, and [hope the new designation will boost tourism to the area.]( Here’s what else is happening: - The City Council is [getting tough with Mayor Eric Adams]( on implementing new mental health services that have been slow to roll out. - The Council also came together on Thursday to [override Adams’ veto]( of housing bills that would expand rental assistance. - Also on the City Council’s radar is a bill that would [require NYC to generate a yearly report]( on drownings in order to identify areas or trends of concern. - A man nicknamed “Paddleball Paul,” who says he is 97 years old, is [waging a war against pickleballers in Central Park]( staking his claim on handball courts that have become popular set up spaces for pickleball. - After disappearing for four years, the iconic LOVE sculpture that used to sit in Midtown is [returning for a display at Rockefeller Center]( because there was just no way that we would let Philadelphia have that over us. - Advocates for a law that would set carbon emission limits for tens of thousands of the city’s largest buildings starting next year [gathered in front of City Hall yesterday to demand the mayor release]( the plan's details. - SummerStage organizers gravely underestimated how many Juanes fans would come out to a free Wednesday [concert, which led to dangerous conditions]( for concertgoers and employees. - Scam store accounts, selling everything from sneaker sandals to t-shirts with poor designs, on Twitter [seem to be outnumbering active users on the site]( these days. - A [suspect has finally been arrested]( in connection to the Long Island Gilgo Beach killings, Newsday reported. - Elevator operators are [suing the MTA for getting rid of their positions and reassigning them]( arguing that they play an important role by helping commuters with disabilities, and that they bring a general sense of safety on the elevators at four Washington Heights subway stations. - If you aren’t having luck with dating apps, it could be because around [two-thirds of people who use them are already married or in a relationship]( a new study shows. - There continues to be a [divide over plans to demolish]( a Chelsea public housing complex with some residents fearing it could lead to displacement. - And the strangest story of the week award has to go to Page Six for their reporting on a press event for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that [culminated in a fight over climate change where farting tactics were deployed]( to prove a point. “I never cared. It’s just an irrelevant discussion that doesn’t really rate what we should be doing in our state government.” - NJ Assemblymember Brian Bergen on [WHY HE WAS THE ONLY PERSON IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO VOTE NO ON A BILL THAT WOULD CREATE A CENTRAL JERSEY REGION.]( More from Gothamist [second image]( [Thousands remained at Rikers despite making bail. Now, they’re collecting $143 million.]( New York City will pay nearly $143 million to more than 40,000 people who were held for hours at Rikers Island and other city jails after they were supposed to be released on bail. [New York ordered to redraw congressional maps, which could decide control of US House]( The state’s top court is now expected to take up the case, which could have enormous implications for who controls the House of Representatives. [We Rely On Your Support]( [Released NYC detainees will get phones, including those who are older, trans or have mental illness]( Detainees departing Rikers Island will also be offered fentanyl test strips and naloxone kits. [Women hip-hop trailblazers set the record straight at The Greene Space]( A handful of artists who’ve participated in shaping the city's cultural history and legacy came together to set the record straight on Wednesday evening. [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.