NYC NOW - Morning Headlines: Federal Officer Shot in Riverside Park, NYC Proposes Basement Apartment Safety Rules, and Zohran Mamdani Visits Uganda

Episode Date: July 21, 2025

A federal border officer is recovering after being shot during a robbery attempt in Riverside Park. Police say the off-duty agent returned fire, wounding a suspect who is now in custody. Meanwhile, New York City is proposing new safety rules for basement and cellar apartments as part of an effort to protect tenants in flood-prone areas. And Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani has paused his campaign for a trip to his birthplace of Uganda.

Welcome to NYC Now, your source for local news in and around New York City from WMYC. It's Monday, July 21st. Here's the morning headlines from David First. A federal border officer who was shot during a robbery attempt late Saturday night in Riverside Park is being praised for his response. Police say the off-duty agent returned fire after being attacked, hitting one suspect who later showed up at a hospital. That person is in custody. Francis Rousseau is Director of Field Operations for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's New York Office. He says the officer may have stopped more crimes.

He did exactly what we ask of all of our officers under the circumstances. He executed our mission, which is to protect the country. And he did it by stopping a threat. Authorities say the officer was hit in the arm and face. He was hospitalized in stable condition and expected to recover. New York City is proposing new safety rules surrounding basement and cellar apartments. WNYC's Joe Hong reports it's part of a multi-year effort to protect tenants living in flood-prone areas. Housing experts estimate that tens of thousands of New Yorkers currently live in a legal basement or cellar apartments.

Some don't have proper protections from fire or flooding. New rules could require sprinkler systems and adding exits. Howard Slacken is with Citizens Housing and Planning Council. He says that could be. be expensive and that the regulations will require a balancing act. If you have concerns about the safety of spaces that people are using and occupying, paradoxically, enforcing against them just drives people further underground. The city will hold a public hearing in August to discuss these rules.

New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zeran Mamdani is in Uganda. The mayoral hopeful was born in the East African nation. WNYC's Ramsey Caliphay reports on the trip. Mamdani is taking a break from his campaign to celebrate his marriage to his wife Ramaduaji. The couple got married in February, in the thick of the primary campaign. Now he says he's visiting his native Uganda, where he was born to Indian parents, who later moved him to the United States when he was seven years old. The trip wasn't announced until Mamdani was already out of the country.

Mamdani has made his African roots front and center on the campaign trail, which has drawn criticism from some people online who have called for him to, quote, go back to Uganda. He addressed those so-called haters during the social media. a video announcing his trip. His spokesperson says he left on Saturday and that he'll return by the end of the month. And checking the weather should be pretty comfortable, comfortable summer conditions today. 74 degrees now going up to 83 with sunny skies expected. It will stay mostly clear tonight with a low of 65 and then tomorrow sunny with a high around 80 degrees. This is WNYC. Thanks for listening. This is NYC now from WMYC. Catch us every weekday three times a day. For your

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