NYC homeless outreach group scores big contract, despite performance concerns

Also, a bloody e-scooter crash on the Manhattan Bridge. [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.]( [Subway homeless outreach group inks big NYC contract despite watchdogs’ concerns]( [first image]( [Today's newsletter curated by Emily Nadal]( Today's weather: 🔥 We're in the midst of a heat wave, so it's another hot one today with a high of 94 degrees and a low of 74 degrees. It’s finally Friday in New York City where a non-profit group with a sketchy record [secured a $103 million contract with the city]( this month to conduct homeless outreach on the subways. The Bowery Residents’ Committee, or BRC, is supposed to send workers into subway stations to offer shelter placements to homeless people, but officials have been concerned that the group has been getting away with minimal effort in doing so, and worse, turning away those in need or ignoring them altogether. Here’s what else is happening: - A bloody e-bike and scooter crash on the Manhattan Bridge Wednesday night [left four people injured and other riders shaken up]( as traditional cyclists grow frustrated with electric vehicles in bike lanes. - CareCube, a chain of clinics, was ordered by the state to [refund patients who were improperly charged]( for COVID-19 tests during the pandemic. - Speaking of the pandemic, the NYC Economic Development Corporation found the city is [only 600 jobs away]( from making a full pandemic recovery in a new study released Thursday. - A group of New Jersey landlords want to overturn Jersey City’s “right-to-counsel” legislation, which would provide free lawyers to renters who are facing eviction, as the group argues the [program goes beyond the city's authority.]( - On Wednesday, Brooklyn’s Barboncino became New York City’s [first unionized pizzeria.]( - A 15-year-old boy who was swimming at Coney Island Thursday went missing. Authorities [called off a search for the teen at 3:30 p.m.]( without recovering him. - Two supervisors at a Bronx Juvenile Detention Center were charged with [violently dragging, punching and stomping a 16-year-old resident]( of the facility, and then attempting to cover up their actions. - Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a [housing development planned for 5 World Trade Center]( will include nearly 400 units below market rate stemming from a proposal which was approved by state authorities. - After McDonalds’ success with the Grimace shake, the company is [planning to try out a new eatery called CosMcs]( based off of one of their alien characters. - All croissants are not created equal, and [this ranking of the best in NYC]( makes that clear. Don’t skip over a croissant from your local coffee cart! It’s looking like the tastiest one on the list. - Bodegas already dish out loosie cigarettes, so [why can’t they do the same for tampons]( Now that’s a concept I can get behind. - A hot air balloon festival, which claims to be the [largest summertime hot air balloon and music festival in North America]( will return to New Jersey this weekend. “As shaken up by it as I still am, twelve or sixteen hours later, the sad feeling I have is that I'm not surprised by this happening.” -Lucas Freshman, an emergency room nurse, [WHO WAS ON THE MANHATTAN BRIDGE during A Wednesday night E-SCOOTER CRASH](. More from Gothamist [second image]( ['Renaissance' fare: 5 ways to celebrate Beyoncé coming to NJ this weekend]( Whether you scored tickets for Beyoncé's two concerts at MetLife Stadium or you'll be sitting at home looking for livestreams, you can get into the mood at these five celebratory events. [Mayor Eric Adams urges New Yorkers to stay safe in extreme heat]( “Heat kills more New Yorkers every year than any other kind of extreme weather event,” Mayor Eric Adams said during a press conference at the city's emergency management headquarters in Brooklyn. [We Rely On Your Support]( [25 free things to do in NYC this August]( There's something suited to every taste happening free of charge almost every day in New York City, from world-class theater, concerts and dance to outdoor film screenings and exercise classes. [Safe to swim? Play outside? How to keep NYC kids (and adults) healthy during this heat wave.]( As sweltering temperatures hit the New York region, an emergency medicine professor from Columbia University offers tips on how to spot the signs of heat stress and heatstroke. [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.