News without the noise · New York Edition
Tuesday, March 17, 2026 · 35 stories
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is pursuing legal action to secure approximately $60 million in federal funds for extending the Second Avenue subway to East Harlem. Federal payments from a $3.4 billion grant for this project were halted in October.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani hosted an iftar at fire department headquarters in Brooklyn with dozens of Muslim firefighters and EMS workers. The event marks his first Ramadan as New York City's first Muslim mayor.
Plans to demolish a parking garage in NoHo threaten to destroy a historic Underground Railroad passageway. Civil rights activist Al Sharpton is leading efforts to preserve the site, which holds significant historical importance for the city.
A wind-driven roof fire at 6 East 43rd Street in Midtown Manhattan was brought under control within about 90 minutes, with no impact on the nearby St. Patrick's Day Parade. The building, undergoing conversion to 441 rental units including 111 affordable housing units, was largely vacant except for a ground-level venue; an EMS lieutenant and police officer sustained minor injuries.
A fire broke out on the third floor of a five-story apartment building at 3410 Kingsbridge Avenue in the Bronx on Tuesday afternoon, escalating to a second alarm. Fourteen people sustained minor injuries and were transported to nearby hospitals, with over 140 FDNY and EMS personnel responding to the scene. The blaze, which also involved a daycare in the building, was brought under control by approximately 4:10 p.m., though the cause remains under investigation.
Severe storms caused widespread damage across the Tri-State area, with downed trees crushing cars in the Bronx and Queens and leaving nearly 38,000 without power in New Jersey. The weather disrupted transit, leading to 20-minute delays for NJ Transit commuters at Penn Station New York and prompting PATH to cross-honor tickets amid ongoing service issues. Cleanup operations are underway as local fire departments respond to hazards like live wires in affected neighborhoods.
A nationwide electricity blackout in Cuba on Monday left approximately 10 million people without power, creating severe difficulties. The outage may compel Havana to implement its most significant economic reforms in over six decades.
Multiple suspected suicide bombings in Maiduguri, Nigeria, have resulted in at least 23 fatalities and over 100 injuries. The explosions targeted a post office, market areas, and a hospital.
A Pakistani air strike on a drug rehabilitation center in Kabul, Afghanistan, killed at least 100 people, with some bodies reportedly injured beyond recognition. The UN has called for a swift investigation, while Pakistan denies deliberately targeting the facility, stating it aimed at military installations. The strike is part of a recent escalation in cross-border conflict between the two countries.