NYC NOW - August 15, 2024: Morning Headlines

Episode Date: August 15, 2024

Get up and get informed! Here’s all the local news you need to start your day: The 2025 New York City comptroller primary is already turning contentious as attack websites targeting two candidates surfaced this week. WNYC’s Elizabeth Kim reports. Meanwhile, Mayor Eric Adams is pushing to remove unnecessary scaffolding that has cluttered city streets for decades. Plus, authorities are investigating a burned body found in a Washington Heights park on Wednesday.

Welcome to NYC Now. Your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. It's Thursday, August 15th. Here's the morning headlines from Michael Hill. The 2025 primary for New York City controller turned ugly this week after websites attacking to the candidate's surface. WNYC's Elizabeth Kim reports. The site Jennifer Rajkumar.com calls candidate and Queen's Assembly member, Jennifer Raj Kumar, a quote, grifter, con artist, and clout chaser.

It also features a list of negative stories in social media. Another site takes aim at councilmember Justin Brannon, who filed paperwork to begin fundraising on Tuesday. Brannan.n.n.n.YC contains a roughly 20-second video criticizing him for supporting spending on migrant care, among other policies. It's unclear who made the websites at a moment when few voters are paying attention to the race. Aside from Raj Kumar and Brannan, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine is also preparing for a potential run. So far, he seems to have been spared from any attack. Mayor Adams wants to tear down unnecessary scaffolding that stood on New York City streets for decades. Adam spoke yesterday about a study showing that Manhattan businesses take a big financial hit after the structures go up.

Businesses covered by scaffolding had monthly losses of as much as roughly $10,000 on average. That's according to a city commission study of MasterCard transactions. The mayor is pledging to address the issue. Some people have been playing games and they think they can keep them up as long as possible. We have to look at every pathway that allows these sheds to remain up in our city and we have to dismantle each one of them. Restaurants and bars had the worst business declines in the study. The mayor says he and the city council are working on legislation on scaffolding requirements.

Authorities say they're investigating a burned body found at a park in Washington Heights yesterday. The police and fire department discovered the body after responding to calls about a late afternoon bush fire in Highbridge Park. Authorities say they came across the burned body of a woman shortly after extinguishing the fire. They have yet to release her name and no arrest has been reported. 71 and clear now we do have a slim chance of isolated afternoon showers and thunderstorms today, mostly sunny and it's going to be hot, 87, and then tomorrow's sunny and dry in 88. This weekend we have shower and storm chances, slim chance of afternoon showers on Saturday, partly sunny, and low 80s. And then on Sunday, a better chance of morning showers and afternoon showers and storms a high near 80.

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