Update on Upper East Side Legionnaires' cluster: * Tragically a third patient has now died * Of 76 total cases 7 remain hospitalized * No new diagnoses since July 15 * The last person to develop symptoms did so more than a week ago Strong signs that the source has likely been eliminated.

Live view of Lower Manhattan. There has been a significant deterioration of air quality in NYC in the last two hours. AQI now over 200, considered “very unhealthy”. NYC health dept is advising all NYers to take precautions, not just those with sensitive health conditions.

A heavy haze is currently blanketing NYC because of wildfire smoke from Canada. An Air Quality Health Advisory is in effect. NYC Health Dept advises all NYers should limit strenuous and prolonged outdoor activities. More info: on.nyc.gov/airqualityNYC

Good news: The pace of new cases in the Upper East Side Legionnaires cluster appears to be slowing. This likely means the source of exposure has been eliminated. (1/2)

Rents in NYC have just hit an all-time high. Median market rate in June… Manhattan: $5,295/mo (+8.2% year-over-year) Brooklyn: $4,350 (+8.1%) NYC’s housing affordability crisis is at DefCon 1. We need to push harder on every front to address our housing shortage.

NEW: NYC Health Dept has released addresses of 31 Upper East Side buildings with cooling towers that have tested positive for presence of Legionella bacteria, based on PCR screening. (1/6)

NEW: There is a legionnaires cluster on the Upper East Side. 2 cases confirmed so far. But this is very early and more expected. Zip codes impacted: 10028 & 10128. If you live, work or have recently visited the two zip codes and have flu-like symptoms contact a health care provider ASAP.

At the worst possible moment, the brand new Champlain-Hudson power line bringing hydro power from Quebec to NYC has shut off. That means we are running now on overwhelmingly carbon-emitting, expensive sources. Reminder of how far away we are from the resilient green grid we need.

Major power line abruptly shut off, depriving New York of desperately needed power

The newly built power line connecting hydropower from Quebec to New York went down this week, leaving the state without a major source of electricity.

timesunion.com

Deadline today at 5:00pm: If you are on the NY Essential Plan and have a health vulnerability in extreme heat, you are eligible for a free air conditioner, installation included. Info and to apply:

Essential Plan Cooling Program | NY State of Health

The deadline to apply for the Essential Plan Cooling Program (EPCP) this season is June 30, 2026 at 5:00PM After this date, no new applications will be accepted.

info.nystateofhealth.ny.gov

This is 100% the experience in NYC. Hotel bookings are *lower* here than this time last year. Bookings into JFK are down from last year. FIFA had projected 1.2M visitors to NY/NJ. We will be lucky to hit 1/3 of that. Huge disappointment. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/19/t...

Empty Rooms and Plunging Prices: World Cup Tourism Is Off to a Slow Start

nytimes.com

It would have been Knicks in 4 if Trump hadn’t come to that one game.

KNICKS IN FIVE!

AI is poised to reshape NYC. My office just published a forecast of what this will mean for jobs, our city’s economy, and our budget. There is great uncertainty ahead. But this shouldn’t keep us from acting decisively now to prepare. open.substack.com/pub/marklevi...

AI and New York City’s Fiscal Future

Preparing for an uncertain path ahead

open.substack.com

Is Trump still saying this is the Biden economy?

NYC urgently needs your help: Tues night is the annual HOPE count, when 1000+ NYers fan out across the city to identify the # of people experiencing homelessness This year's count was rescheduled due to snow storm. And now the # of vols signed up is only 50% of last year Join here: nyc.gov/hope

Ever wondered who the people behind NYC’s street names are? A new interactive map reveals the stories behind 2,500 co-named street signs honoring famous New Yorkers—and unsung heroes—across the five boroughs. Check it out here: on.nyc.gov/4iIjQvY

Emergency alert being pushed out to phones in NYC:

The PlowNYC tracker has now been activated. Shows you how recently any street has been plowed. Check it out at nyc.gov/plownyc. Thank you to the 1000s of @nycsanitation.bsky.social workers out there battling this blizzard.

NYC public schools will be CLOSED tomorrow, Monday 2/23 due to blizzard. Fully closed, not a remote day. Details: on.nyc.gov/PublicSchoolCalendar

NEW: Monthly data are out on rents in NYC Avg for market rate units, as of Jan 31 (w/ increase over past year) Manhattan: $5,711 (+11.3%)—All-time high Brooklyn: $4,264 (+7.5%) NW Queens: $3,997 (+10.6%)—All-time high We urgently need to build vastly more housing, especially affordable housing.

Our increasingly unequal economy summed up in two headlines

Reminder ahead of this weekend's frigid temperatures... Landlords in NYC are legally required to provide: * Heat-- At least 68 degrees during day (6am-10pm) and 62 degrees at night (10pm-6am) * Hot water-- At least 120 degrees (1/2)

NYC used to consistently build 5-10 new subway stations every single year. Since 1990 we have built 4. Not 4 per year, 4 total over 36 years. We need to get back to building transit on a grand scale. This is what our system could look like:

NYC's pension system is a significant shareholder in Palantir. We are using that leverage. I have made a formal request for the company to secure a third-party assessment of the legal, reputational, civil-rights & human-rights risks associated with their work with ICE.

NYC invests in firm that helps ICE deport people. The city comptroller is concerned.

City Comptroller Mark Levine is pressing for an inquiry into Palantir Technologies, citing human rights concerns.

gothamist.com

NEW: You now have free unlimited access to @nytimes.com online at all NYPL branches, with no library card or login required. Just connect your device to library WiFi or use one of their computers. Includes news, games, cooking, The Athletic, Wirecutter etc. One more reason to love our libraries!

It's Int'l Holocaust Remembrance Day And yet, in America: 41% can’t identify Auschwitz 45% can’t name a single concentration camp 32% believe fewer than 2 million Jews were murdered Antisemitism rises amid ignorance. The cause of Holocaust education is more urgent than ever.

Live view of how recently streets have been plowed across NYC. Green = within past hour. Blue = within 1-3 hours. This is thanks to the extraordinary efforts of @nycsanitation.bsky.social workers driving 2,000+ plows. Get a live map of plowing in your neighborhood: nyc.gov/plownyc

NYC has an excellent tool to see how recently any street has been plowed. Check out PlowNYC at: nyc.gov/plownyc Thank you to the 1000s of hard working men and women at @nycsanitation.bsky.social who are out battling this storm.

NEW: Due to storm, NYC has just opened warming centers for anyone who needs to get out of the cold. Two in each borough. Open round-the-clock through Monday. Locations:

Another horrifying death at the hands of ICE. This is not an unforeseen tragedy. This is the PREDICTABLE result of sending 1000s of unaccountable, poorly trained, masked federal agents into an American city. Those who made this possible must answer for what followed.