NYC NOW - July 3, 2023: Morning Headlines

Episode Date: July 3, 2023

Get up and get informed! Here’s all the local news you need to start your day: Josey Miller of Best Friends Animal Society offers some 4th of July tips to keep animals safe during the festivities. Meanwhile, a Bronx man’s conviction for shooting and killing a rival in a gun battle in 2015 has been vacated because he may have acted in self-defense. Lastly, prospective New Jersey renters and homebuyers will soon have the right to know whether the property they’re considering has been damaged by flooding.

Welcome to NYC Now. Your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. It's Monday, July 3rd. Here's the morning headlines from Michael Hill. 70 forward sunshine out there, midday shower, storms, partly sunny, going to feel like it's the upper 90s today. Fourth of July is tomorrow. That means stars and stripes, hot dogs on the grill, and, of course, fireworks.

Although fun for some humans, they can be terrifying to pets, Josie Miller is with the best friend's Animal Society. She says there are ways to protect your fur babies this holiday. Secure them in a quiet room. So close the windows, draw the curtains, and distract, distract, surround them with their favorite toys, their favorite treats. Miller also suggests playing some calming music or white noise to try to drown out the noise of fireworks. The best approach is to keep your pet comfortable and indoors away from the fireworks.

A Bronx man's conviction for shooting and killing a rival in a gun battle has been vacated because he may have acted in self-defense. Alfonso Skeeter walked out of prison last week after a rare appeals court decision tossing his 20-year sentence for manslaughter. The court cited evidence that Skeeter did not initiate the gunfight in 2015 and may have fired because he feared for his life. 21-year-old Ray Rosello died in the shooting. Rosello's mother, Yvonne Rodriguez, is outraged. This man goes home. He has to spend time with his son. My son doesn't get time to spend with his sons. The Bronx District Attorney's Office says it'll file a motion to re-argue the case.

A call to Skeeter's attorney was not returned. Prospective New Jersey renters and homebuyers will soon have a right to know whether the property they want to live in has been damaged by flooding. WNYC's Karen Yee reports. state lawmakers passed the bill last week, mandating landlords tell their tenants before they sign or renew their lease whether the property is in a FEMA floodplain, and if not, whether the parking lot or the residents has flooded before, and how often? The same disclosure rules apply to those looking to sell their homes. Under the bill, the state will also create a searchable website to identify which

properties are in flood zones. The measure was even backed by landlord groups, who say the state's look-up tool will help landlords better prepare and understand the risks of flooding. New Jersey would be the 30th state to pass flood disclosure requirements. The bill is awaiting Governor Phil Murphy's signature. Seventy-4 and sunny right now, midday scattered showers and thunderstorms, partly sunny and 87, but it's going to feel hotter than that. Thanks for listening. This is NYC now from WNYC. Be sure to catch us every weekday, three times a day, for your top news headlines and occasional deep dives. And subscribe wherever you get your podcast.

See you this afternoon.