Ex-Buildings boss' alleged scheme to evict tenants for a luxury condo discount

Also, Adams' mic drop moment. [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.]( [Ex-Buildings boss schemed to empty fire victim shelter to get a luxury condo, Manhattan DA says]( [first image]( [Today's newsletter curated by Emily Nadal]( Weather: ☀️ This brisk morning is a sign to switch from iced coffee to hot coffee. The temperature will get up to 72 degrees today, with more clouds coming in as the day rolls on. It’s Friday morning in New York City where Eric Ulrich’s indictment was unsealed, and he’s accused of doing a lot of shady things. The former NYC buildings commissioner faces 16 counts of bribery and conspiracy for allegedly helping out associates and businesses through pay-to-play schemes. One of those schemes involved an [attempt to evict tenants from 52 single-room occupancy apartments]( in Queens while Ulrich simultaneously negotiated with a developer for a hefty discount on a condo across the street. Here’s what else is happening: - Is the New York state ethics panel ethical? That’s at the heart of a [court battle underway in Albany]( and WNYC’s Sean Carlson spoke to Blair Horner, executive director of the New York Public Interest Research Group, on "All Things Considered" to talk about where the story is going. - When asked by a reporter about how the city has handled work permits for migrants at a press conference yesterday, Mayor Eric Adams [responded with a mic drop]( before walking out, to the tune of “Empire State of Mind” of course. - The press conference where this went down was actually in Staten Island to [announce a $400 million investment]( from the city to the North Shore waterfront which will bring more big business, housing, a new school and open space. - A Long Island [middle school health teacher was pulled from the classroom]( for giving 5th graders an assignment that asked them to choose from a list of people to save in a fallout shelter in the event of a nuclear attack. The list included choices such as a 16-year-old pregnant girl or a 38-year-old retired prostitute. - The New York Film Festival will return to Lincoln Center this month, but with far fewer celebrities than previous years due to the ongoing actors’ strike. [WNYC spoke with the festival’s artistic director, Dennis Lim]( to discuss the impact of the strike on the red carpet, the film selections and why they keep allowing audience questions. - The strike has also affected Bill Maher's HBO show "Real Time with Bill Maher,” but [Maher decided to go back on air anyway, without writers](. In an X post, Maher said the writers on strike are “not the only people with issues, problems, and concerns.” - A stray bullet that was shot during a fight between two young men in the South Bronx yesterday [hit a 71-year-old woman, killing her.]( - Autumn is almost upon us, arguably the best time of year, especially in New York where fall foliage is elite. [This map shows you where to catch it at its peak.]( - Police are searching for three men who are wanted in connection to a string of robberies of Queens businesses that occurred over two weekends. [The thieves have made away with more than $16,000 all together.]( - A new study found the best way to test how stressed workers are on the job is with an AI computer mouse. The mouse [proved to be more accurate than a model which tracked heart-rate data.]( - The City Council [approved a five-year extension]( to Madison Square Garden’s permit on Thursday, which allows the venue to operate above Penn Station, the shortest license ever given to MSG. - The median rent in Manhattan last month was unchanged from July, [coming in at $4,370](. Better luck next month. - A food inspector at Rikers Island found live insects [inside boxes of instant mashed potatoes at the jail]( forcing them to throw out $40,000 worth of it. - A French bulldog puppy named Enzo who was stolen in May during a doggy playdate [has been recovered in Newark.]( “Now we're looking at the individuals who are trying to fix the crisis and saying, ‘You're not doing a good enough job.’” - Mayor Eric Adams in [RESPONSE TO A REPORTER'S QUESTION ABOUT THE CITY'S EFFORTS TO ADDRESS THE MIGRANT CRISIS.]( More from Gothamist [second image]( [The Feast of San Gennaro returns to Little Italy]( For New Yorkers who grew up in Little Italy, the nearly century-old festival is a homecoming. [Long overdue reform of NYC private trash collection hits another speed bump]( New York City’s yearslong effort to overhaul how trash is collected from businesses has hit another bump in the road. [We Rely On Your Support]( [Gov. Murphy won't yet lift craft breweries restrictions, even if they're 'ridiculous']( As he sipped a "Sign the Bill Phil" beer, the NJ governor said he needs political support for his own liquor license reform plan. [Mayor Adams wants to soften enforcement of climate law that aims to reduce building emissions]( A new administration proposal softens Local Law 97 enforcement, but sketches out a plan for helping building owners with the transition. [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.