Mysterious wave of illegal rental complaints against Mayor Adams, top city leaders

Plus, thousands of migrant students head to NYC schools for the first time. [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.]( [The mysterious wave of illegal rental complaints against Mayor Adams and top city leaders]( [first image]( [Today's newsletter curated by Emily Nadal]( Weather: ☀️🌶️ Welcome to day 3 of the late-summer heat wave. Relief is on the horizon, but for now, you can expect a high of 94 degrees. It’s Thursday morning in New York City where a [mysterious wave of short-term rental complaints were filed]( against the properties the mayor and about two dozen other elected officials live in. Gothamist reviewed nearly-identical 311 complaints made to the Department of Buildings against the home addresses of Mayor Eric Adams, Comptroller Brad Lander, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and about half the City Council during a six-week span this summer. Most of the targeted officials said the complaints are false, but who made them and why still remains unclear. Here’s what else is happening: - It’s the first day of school for New York City public school students and [thousands of migrant children will be joining NYC classrooms]( for the first time. Schools Chancellor David Banks said the students have been welcomed into the schools, but also noted that the new arrivals have caused some “stress and strain” on the education system, specifically on the city’s finances. - A NYC woman will receive more than $75,000 and payment for legal fees as part of a judgment against the Administration for Children’s Services after she [accused the child welfare agency of separating her from her son]( because they both tested positive for marijuana, months after recreational use was legalized statewide. - What’s the first thing you do before going to watch a movie? Probably check its Rotten Tomatoes score. Gone are the days of individual critics determining the fate of a movie’s success, their jobs [whittled down to the simplest of formulas]( with so much riding on the result. - Four people were injured in a Brooklyn shooting yesterday afternoon. The gunmen got out of a vehicle on Marcus Garvey Boulevard in Bedford-Stuyvesant and [fired a gun several times]( before fleeing the scene. - In a classic MTA move, [escalators were not working yesterday at a Grand Central-42nd Street]( 7 train entrance for the second time in the week and a half since the entrance had been newly reopened. - There are 15,000 fewer Airbnb listings for a weekend getaway in NYC after [the city’s new short-term rental regulations]( took effect. - Hoboken, New Jersey is officially a “book sanctuary,” or a place that bans book bans, by way of a [City Council resolution passed last night.]( The move came after a public reading of books for Pride Month in June drew online criticism. - The city will continue with [awarding a $432 million, no-bid contract]( to the medical services provider DocGo, a company that will house and care for migrants across the state, despite concerns raised by the city comptroller that the chosen company is ill-suited for the work. - Meanwhile, buses of migrants continue to arrive at Port Authority with an [average of roughly 2,400 people coming each week]( in a situation Deputy Mayor Anne Williams-Isom says is dire. - What would a state fair be without a butter sculpture? The 800-pound buttery work of art that was on display at the New York State Fair [will be recycled and converted to energy.]( - The legality of a special type of firearm trigger that allows shooters to quickly fire a fusillade of bullets is being questioned in court, but a federal judge in Brooklyn has [banned sales of it in the meantime.]( - If you’ve been missing the allure of the now-bankrupt Barneys New York, fear not. You’ll be able to [purchase some licensed goods at Forever 21]( in a new collection debuting today. - Drake has a [room full of bras](. Why? Who knows. “Fraudulent complaints are wasting the city’s resources or taxpayer dollars.” - Eric Dinowitz,BRONX COUNCILMEMBER, [DISCUSSING THE WAVE OF COMPLAINTS AGAINST BUILDINGS ASSOCIATED WITH NYC ELECTED OFFICIALS.]( More from Gothamist [second image]( [NYPD praised its handling of the West Indian Day Parade — so did community members]( Paradegoers and community leaders said that for the most part, there was good collaboration between the police and the community. [As car theft spikes, NYPD deploys a vehicle with a license plate reader in every precinct]( Police will respond to a recent spike in car thefts by deploying a vehicle dedicated to searching for the license plates of stolen cars in each of the city’s 77 precincts. [We Rely On Your Support]( [Housing vs. community gardens: NYC's age-old conflict over precious space]( A fight over a community garden in Little Italy has showcased longstanding tensions between the need for housing and green space in NYC. [NYC pushes for a citywide campaign deterring youth from illicit weed]( Lawmakers are pushing the creation of a citywide campaign to warn young people of the risks involved in buying cannabis from unlicensed sellers. [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.