A Queens man made money off more than 3K noise complaints

The City Council hopes to stop him [View this email in a browser.]( Our Gift to You! Get this T-shirt when you [donate & help fund]( our non-profit newsroom. [Donate Now]( [A Queens man has made money off more than 3K noise complaints. The City Council hopes to stop him.]( [first image]( [Today's newsletter curated by James Ramsay]( Weather: ⛅ Mix of sun and clouds, with highs in the mid 40s. It's Wednesday in New York City, where one vigilante has relentlessly been filing noise complaints — and stands to make hundreds of thousands of dollars from his share of the fines. While Dietmar Detering of Queens says he's just an environmental activist, getting establishments like Madame Tussauds in Times Square to scrap their noise-polluting outdoor speakers, [some city lawmakers see him as a noise narc who's unfairly gaming the system](. Here's what else is happening: - The special election to fill Rep. George Santos' seat [is set for Feb. 13, 2024](. - After an MTA advisory panel last week recommended a $15 base fare under congestion pricing — which was signed into law more than four years ago — [Mayor Eric Adams called the proposal "the beginning of the conversation,"]( a move political observers said was an attempt to distance himself from any backlash to the tolls. - [A 2019 fundraising event for Eric Adams]( hosted by a Brooklyn-based construction company (not [the one with links to Turkey]( this is a different one) was not disclosed to campaign finance officials, despite requirements to do so under city law. - The Adams administration is [denying the existence]( of a list of projects tied to well-connected developers that got fast-tracked for fire inspections, despite evidence reported by Gothamist. - A new City Council bill would [lift a decades-old cap on permits]( for street vendors. - The COVID-era trend of wealthy people leaving New York City might be over, [according to two new reports](. - Police said [a 15-year-old was stabbed]( by another student at Edward R. Murrow High School in Midwood yesterday morning. - Correction: Yesterday's newsletter featured [a story]( about a Queens community board voting to approve a new soccer stadium at Willets Point. The story misstated the involvement of a casino in the project. - Manhattan office occupancy is back up to [70% of pre-pandemic levels]( according to the Real Estate Board of New York. - The NYPD said [overall crime dropped last month]( when compared to November 2022 stats, though hate crimes are up. - George Latimer, the Westchester County executive, said he'll [run in a Democratic primary]( next year against Rep. Jamaal Bowman, the progressive congressman who recently accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. - Students at Newcomers High School, which does indeed welcome many new immigrant students, [wants to change the name]( of the prestigious Queens school to avoid becoming "a target." - "I get offers all the time. If one catches my eye, I might consider it": Victoria Gotti, the daughter of late mobster John Gotti, is sort of [trying to sell her portfolio of scrap yards]( in Queens. - Sean Hannity asked Donald Trump during a town hall last night if he'd "promise" to "never abuse power" if reelected, and Trump said sure, but first he'd want to "close the border and ... drill, drill, drill." - Daddy Yankee is giving up reggaeton to [follow Christ](. - Sledding in Switzerland [looks awesome](. - Dolly [don't text](. - Norman Lear, creator of "All in the Family," [has died at the age of 101](. - Have some time for a game? [Play]( our mini local news crossword. - Sign up for reminders when we publish new games [here](. “ [Businesses are being fleeced by profiteers who have no interest whatsoever other than lining their own pockets with ill-gotten gains. I think it’s the obligation of the city to have a working, functional noise code and this was a problem that was exploited and we have to fix it.]( - Queens Councilmember James Gennaro, who is [SPONSORING A BILL TO CAP NOISE COMPLAINT PAYOUTS]( More from Gothamist [second image]( [Migrant NYC school families face new threat of being uprooted again]( The Adams administration’s new limits on shelter stays have sparked worries among migrant students who've just settled into their schools. [Rockefeller Center gets a new ride, 'The Beam,' honoring an iconic NYC photo]( A new, immersive experience called "The Beam" gives visitors the chance to recreate the iconic "Lunch atop a Skyscraper" picture taken in 1932. (It has seat belts.) [We Rely On Your Support]( [NY gets more than $100M for school counselors, crisis hotline]( New York has received roughly $100 million for mental health services from the federal government under a landmark gun violence prevention bill passed last year. [What’s next for George Santos? ‘Whatever I want,’ he says.]( Prison time is a serious possibility. [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.