NYC NOW - Morning Headlines: Midtown Office Shooting Prompts Security Questions, More NJ Residents Experiencing Homelessness, and MTA to Ease Ban on Alcohol Ads

Episode Date: July 30, 2025

Monday’s deadly shooting inside a Midtown office tower is raising questions about whether existing security protocols are enough. Police say the shooter killed an NYPD officer and a security guard inside the Park Avenue building, despite both being stationed there. Meanwhile, a new count finds more homeless people in New Jersey are living on the streets or in abandoned buildings this year. Also, the MTA has voted to loosen its 2018 ban on alcohol advertising, potentially bringing beer and liquor ads back to city buses and subways.

Welcome to NYC now, your source for local news in and around New York City from WMYC. It's Wednesday, July 30th. Here's the morning headlines from Michael Hill. The shooting in the Midtown Manhattan office building on Monday is raising questions about whether any additional security measures could have prevented it. At least one NYPD officer and one security guard were stationed at the Park Avenue Highrise. Police say the shooter killed both of them. WNYC, Samantha Mac, spoke with security experts about what the shooting could mean for building security in New York City going forward. In the moment, there might be a big emphasis on we need to keep people safe.

We need to invest in these different technologies or more officers. But then the bill starts coming in and it kind of takes a back seat again. Authorities have identified the suspect as 27-year-old Shane Tamira of Las Vegas, who took his own life after killing four others. NYPD detectors plan to go to Vegas to learn more about Tamira. A new count shows more homeless people in New Jersey are sleeping on the street or in abandoned buildings this year. Double NYC's Karen Yee reports on the latest. Every January, nonprofits and volunteers cannabis New Jersey to count the number of homeless people.

This year's numbers show homelessness is up 8% from last year for a total of nearly 14,000 homeless residents across the state. But the number of homeless people not staying in shelters and living outside or in abandoned lots rose the most by nearly 15%. A handful of towns such as Howell and Egg Harbor Township have banned sleeping in public spaces and can issue fines or jail time to those who don't comply. Meanwhile, housing advocates are warning homeless numbers will only get worse as federal cuts to safety net programs push more people into poverty. New Yorkers could start seeing alcohol ads on city subways and buses. The MTA recently voted to loosen a ban on the ads that's been in place since 2018.

The ban aimed to curb underage drinking, and some advocates say they don't want to see it rolled back. But MTA officials say the new rules strike a balance between prioritizing ad revenue and public health. The new policy allows digital ads featuring alcohol, but not at times when students are commuting. to and from school. 78 and sunny now with a heat advisor and air quality alert. Be careful out there. Slim chance of afternoon,

mid-afternoon showers and thunderstorm. Sunny and 94-bit feeling like 104 again. And then tomorrow we start to see a cool off 82 with shower and thunderstorm chances. Thanks for listening. This is NYC now from WMYC. Catch us every weekday, three times a day. For your top news headlines and occasional deep dives.

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